MGQ Paradox : Inside the Pocket Castle
by SirKaerdron
Summary: Ever wondered what happened inside the pocket castle when Luka is on the road? It turns out cohabitation is a bit harder to reach than coexistence. Start at the end of part 2.
1. Story 1: Through the eyes of the Reaper

Story 1: Through the eyes of the Reaper

-Hades-

A feminine figure cloaked in a black coat was holding a scythe while looking at the duo that recently landed in her domain. She knew their names as Lazarus and Merlin, two humans that, in the dimension they came from, were ruthless and shrewd crime bosses.

The two men were putting back on their tailored suits as a wave of fatigue washed over her. She internally sighed as she started:

"Let me clarify, so that this event can be properly managed."

The two men were standing at attention as her voice boomed through their mind. Even if they were used to danger,

"You were operating your gambling den."

Fearing they would lose more than their lives, they answered at the same time. "Yes."

"As you were running your games, the succubus queen ended up losing everything she had."

"Yes."

"So she offered her body to pay up her debt."

"Yes."

"And you accepted, fully aware of the consequences the ones that cross her path suffer."

"Yes."

"Get out."

"Who are-"

"Get. Out." She hadn't even raised her voice, which actually strengthened her authority.

The men scurried away inside the magic circle, before being teleported back with their memories of the recent events erased. As they disappeared, Reaper began weaving the spell that would allow undoing the most recent accident.

\- Pocket Castle-

"U-Uncle Lazarus?"

Luka, Alice and Sonya and the Pope entered the bedroom where Lazarus was last noticed. They wanted to know about the reasons why he tried killing the Pope, and as such get a larger picture of his actions.

Sonya was looking at the dried body laying on the bed, aghast, while Alice was glaring at the naked succubus still straddling it.

Alma Elma chuckled awkwardly.

"Oops, I guess I got carried up a bit"

Luka delicately took the priestess's hand to take her away from the gruesome scene, launching a mean "we'll talk about it later" look at the succubus queen. At the same time, the Pope facepalmed and groaned.

"We will not learn anything more from him. Wait, where is Merlin?"

As Alice wandered around her lower body hit something on the ground. It was a small shoe, with its superior part being half dissolved and covered in mucus. Taking a deep breath, she pinched the bridge of her nose:

"Oh, for the love of The Founder, ALMA-"

"He asked me to do it."

* * *

**REWIND**

Her job done, Reaper stepped away, authorizing herself an ever so short moment of satisfaction over a work well done. She produced a glass of wine from under her cloak, and proceeded to take a long gulp as she went back to scrying the content of the pocket castle.

She saw a man wearing nothing but underpants wandering around. The fact that this was his choice of attire in an area filled with bored, possibly horny monsters told already much about his survival instincts. Or maybe he was aware, which made it worse...

He entered the room where the royals were usually discussing their matter. He knew they were currently away, back in their respective country, but he could still hear a girl talking.

"Oh, I know, the hero didn't take with us, but isn't it a fantastic adventure Mr Beary ? This is as much fun as that time in the tavern with Heinrich."

The girl was wearing a green dress with a low cut neckline, and was wallowed on a table speaking to a teddy bear. Even through the lense, Reaper felt a shiver run through her spine when she was looking at the disguised yoma.

The monster's senses picked up the newcomer. She turned unnaturally fast toward him, and smiled.

"Oh, my, are you looking for something?"

"Jackpot!"

This was going to be a looooong day.


	2. Story 2: Unforeseen results

Two warriors were facing each other on the platform at the center of the training area. A four tailed-kitsune, wielding a katana, and a valkyrie using a silvery sword were gauging each others for potential openings. All around the platform, monsters and angels were chanting the name of their champion, as a man in a tuxedo was taking bets on who would win this fight.

Suddenly, the valkyrie charged with her sword raised high. Sparks flew as the kitsune parried her assault, before she ignited her blade and counterattacked with a slash aimed at her opponent's legs. Both blades clashed as the valkyrie blocked the blade, then tried to slash at the kitsune's arm.

The latter deflected the blow again while trying to sweep the valkyrie with one of her leg. The angel dodged the blow, and sneered at her opponent. She then got hit in the chest as the kitsune brought back her leg higher for a second sweep. She recoiled as she used her wings to remain steady. She resumed her assault on the kitsune, and their swords clashed faster and faster until the exchange was looking like a blurred firework.

"Lightning sword strike !"

"Cherry blossom dance !"

Eventually, the kitsune lost her footing. Exploiting the opening, the angel lunged at her opponent with her body and knocked her on the ground. She then planted her sword less than an inch from the fox's face.

"I win."

The atmosphere tensed, before the valkyrie offered a hand at her fallen opponent.

"…You're getting better."

The kitsune graciously accepted her help "Thank you, but that's still not enough to beat you"

The tension releases as angels and monsters praised the winner, while some were saddened by the defeat of their champion or their lost bet.

The valkyrie haughtily responded."I trained for hundreds of years, maybe you will be able to grasp that level in your life if you monster dedicate your training to Ilias."

The fox samurai tensed upon hearing this. The tension between both groups came back, before a cupid flew closer to her valkyrie friend, poking her playfully in the side.

"Awww, come on Victoria, don't be like that, you knew you enjoyed it." She then turned to the kitsune. "Izuna, you too enjoyed this fight, we can aaaalways enjoy each other's presence, whether monsters, angels or humans." She started grinning, as her gaze turned toward an elf on the monster's side. "Don't we ?"

The elf blushed as the valkyrie raised an eyebrow before the realization hit her. Not wanting an awkward conversation about her friend's nightly (and also daily) activities, she took the opportunity to take back control.

"Indeed, by working together, we will stand to protect the world against any threats, for our future's, for this world's sake!"

Even if the short speech was mostly platitudes, everybody cheered as they wanted to be able to enjoy this for a bit longer.

A sudden explosion rumbled across the castle. Everybody dropped down to protect themselves from possible debris. A few voices could be heard as the dust cleared.

"Are we under attack?"

"HEY ! Get off my face!"

"Awww, you no longer like me?"

"Please wrap your tentacles around someone else."

"Pleeeaase. Mooooove. Caaan't. Breaaath."

"No, no, you can stay. Also breath faster please."

"That was coming from above."

The competitors both got on their feet and climbed the stairs. The library on the second floor was looking even worse, with books scattered apart and monsters wounded lying on the floor. While their wounds didn't look critical, they would still need proper healing before being able to go back on the road.

They finally reached the third floor, and it was clear the source of the explosion was the strange (and now broken beyond recognition) device on the table. A young, red haired girl with a scholarly look and half shredded clothes put back her glasses on. The move was useless, as one of the lense was broken and the other was simply missing. She turned toward her partner, without considering that the girl was lying in front of a wall where her mark was imprinted.

"As it happens, you were right, using ancient yoma cells with a mix of chaos energy to try to stabilize the fusion between monster cells and angel cells did not resulted in the desired result, but amplified the reaction between the holy and the dark energy present in each of them, and, improperly managed in a quantum state, they do indeed generate a lot of energy. Also Luka will definitively not be happy that we blew up the lab again."

Right after her explanation, Promestein crumbled and passed out. The warrior duo looked stunned at the scientist, then at each other.

"We will defend the world if we work together, won't we ?"

"I think we all have a lot of training to do first…"

More time passed, as the valkyrie turned her back to the scene and made a few steps before pausing.

"Come on, let's get a drink."

"First round's on me."


	3. Story 3: Living up to one's name

"Hueee ! Serve me another one !"

"I think you got enough."

"Did I tell you to stop serving me ? Stupid rabbit."

Barbun the bunny sighed heavily at her inebriated friend. Bottles of beer, Yamatai sake and even a Grand Noah wine were piling up in front of the sheep girl, silent explanations to the sheep girl's current drunken state. At least, she was not a threat to anyone in that state.

It was just another day at the Pocket Castle for her. She remembered the days she wandered, looking for travelers to attack to get money, to get food or even to play with once she had defeated them. It was her routine until one day, where she attacked a small band of monsters led by the hero Luka. She ended up soundly defeated, and decided to join with them in hope of honing her skills. It happened several months ago, and she was now on the same level of the Elven Queen's royal guards.

In the meantime, she naturally took the role of bartender in the Pocket Castle as her dexterity allowed her to easily prepare drinks and serve customers. The number of residents kept increasing as the hero kept travelling, and most of them came occasionally, if not regularly, to discuss the situation they were in, their past adventures, or just take a break away from the chaos of the world. Today, even royal monsters could be seen amongst the customers. She could see the Elf Queen discussing with a zombified Fernandez, while Lucretia, the Harpy Queen, was listening to the tale one of her children made of the fight between a kitsune and a valkyrie, ignoring that said warriors were drowning their sorrow because of an accident barely a few tables away.

She looked at the different maids that were now helping her serve the residents in the spectacle room, as if they always were doing that. Yes, she missed a bit those carefree days of old, but she felt a sense of pride in her growing skills as well as a sense of belonging to this growing community.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a booming, slurred voice shouting incomprehensible words. Not a second after, a scylla maid was slithering fast toward the bar, followed by two men in dapper suits. She recognized all the signs of an imminent fight between two inebriated idiots. Swearing under her breath, she pulled her friend behind the counter as the latter shouted an indignant bleat. The two men followed suit, with a grace contradicting their advanced age. The older one turned toward them.

"Apologies, ladies, but it seems the little twins succubi said something that displeased the blue haired one quite much."

Barbun swore again. In her state, there was no way to tell what damages Morrigan would do. She was a powerful succubus, and apparently she decided to join the hero's group after being weakened during a fight. Barbun was curious to learn more about the legendary succubus, as she would have seen and lived with the monsters of the old days. She got disappointed very soon as the haughty succubus wasn't very talkative, and kept telling how monsters living in the castle were weak. Morrigan was rude and abrasive in the best of days, and a spoiled brat in her worst ones. A spoiled brat that took glee in making others come relentlessly by using her magic.

She heard a few other cries and the sound of spells being cast. A pleasant shiver ran through her spine as one landed close. Fortunately, its effects were weakened by the seals placed to reinforce the counter. She'd have to thanks the kitsunes later.

Carefully looking over the counter, she looked at the succubus that was stumbling in the room.

"I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT SHUCCUBUSHES NAYMED MORRIGAN CAN DO! I'LL SHOW EVERYONE ZJAT WE'RE SHEX GODESSH! WAAAAAY BETTER ZJAN ANYSHING YOU'LL EVER GET!"

The place had been turned into a mess in the blink of an eye. Tables and drinks were flipped, bottles were spread around, and monsters and angels alike were lying down or against the wall, their face covered by an expression of pure bliss. She ducked back behind the counter

"How did she get that drunk ? You'd think a legendary succubus would hold her liquor better!"

"Well, we can hypothesize that the weakening effect done by the apoptosis on her did affect her constitution as a whole, but that she is not used yet to its full effect, particularly when it comes to her body's abilities. But unless I know the full nature of the weakening process, however, I can only conjecture without conclusions. As to why she's drunk…"

"Gah ! When did you get there ?"

Lazarus recoiled in front of the new arrival. A red haired girl with a half shredded labcoat and still broken glasses was writing in a book. How she did manage to get there was a mistery.

"I did not want to pass up on the occasion of observing one of the legendary Lilith Sisters in all her glory." Promestein blankly said. "A small explosion will not stop me."

She then turned toward the room.

"I will also be collecting samples on the fallen monsters. They won't have anything to say about it, for once."

"Wait, don't-"

As soon as Promestein rose up, a purplish bolt hit her in the face. She stumbled for a second before falling down. Barbun could see the same dumb blissful expression on her face, with a damp spot forming between her legs. Lazarus facepalmed.

"Figures."

Silence fell, before Morrigan started back in a sing-song voice.

"Hora, Hora, I shee a little bunnyyy who will shoon be hornyyy…"

Barbun's eyes opened wide, just as she remembered her ears would still be visible to the succubus. She reflexively pulled her ears down on her head as she looked ashamed around her. The sheep girl was snoring, as the Scylla maid was trying to grovel as if her life depended on it. The older man was readying a spell, while the younger one was readying two guns. She could hear Morrigan stepping slowly closer, a predator enjoying the fear in her cornered prey. Her day was definitively taking a turn for the worse.

However before Morrigan reached the counter, a blast of energy erupted from the corridor and hit the succubus in the side, propelling her in a table that broke under the impact. Barbun took a look at the source of the shot, where she saw a nude angel who had three pairs of wings on her back and a scowl on her face.

"How dare you, filthy succubus, lay hands on the holy body of an angel! Know the wrath of Ilias, the one goddess, by my hand!"

Morrigan got back up as if nothing happened and took a large swig from a bottle that had remained intact, until she threw it away on a wall.

"WHY YOU, FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUCKING ANGELS, KEEP INTERRUPTING MY FUN!"

"You foul, obscene depraved temptress! No one should fall to your exposed flesh!"

"Zaaat's rich, coming from you shtreaker."

Eden's face reddened, before contorting into a look of shame, soon followed by one of pure anger.

"YOU WILL REGRET THOSE WORDS YOU LITTLE W-KIAAAAA !"

Eden suddenly shouted in a surprisingly shrill voice, as a bolt of pleasure magic hit her straight in the crotch. Before she could recover, Morrigan had tackled her on the ground and started pleasuring her using her aura-imbued hands.

"Hora Hora HORAAAAA ! SHCREAM FOR MEEEEEEE !"

"Nonono, get her off ! GET HER OFF !"

As various lewd noises could be heard, Lazarus slowly took a peak at the scene happening.

"You know, this is kinda hot actually."

"I agree. Even if it is unbecoming of a gentleman to act like a voyeur, he should enjoy the fine pleasures available to him."

Barbun could barely hear them over the repulsed moans that kept coming from Eden. Mary was still sleeping soundly, while the Scylla maid was trying to make herself disappear as hard as she could. A few minutes later, the sounds stopped as Morrigan finally passed out thanks to all the alcohol she absorbed, while a fainted Eden now had a curious expression of disgusted ecstasy on her face.

Soon afterwards, the queen of Grand Noah arrived at the scene, followed by her advisor and several monsters of different races, as well as a few angels. She gave orders in a tone that invited no discussions.

"You." She pointed to a group of succubi that was following her. "Get her back to her room, and make sure she doesn't go on a rampage again." "You." She then pointed to a trio of angels. "Get her to the chapel and keep sure she doesn't decide to take revenge when she awakens."

"Everybody else, help the victims of this incident and heal them as needed."

The succubi proceeded to pull away their kin, who proceeded to throw up on the ground in an undignified way. Right afterwards, the angels started moving Eden who was still suffering from periodic spasms. As the remainder split up in the rest of the room, the queen turned toward the survivors behind the counter.

"Also, not a word to Luka."

"Where is he again?"

"If I understood correctly, he's in training in a place called the Labyrinth of Chaos where he can also get more equipment to prepare for what is to come. He should be back with the other lords soon enough."

"Oh yeah, this is where he's getting that stuff from. Man, I'm getting too old for this shit."

Lazarus turned back to the angels that were carrying Eden, then toward the succubi who were bringing Morrigan to her room. Barbun and the maids were starting to clean the aftermath of the one-sided brawl.

"I hope he won't get involved with more people like that."


	4. Story 4: Uncomfortable aftermath

Samson, the head of Sabasa's knights, had just finished helping clean the aftermath of the bar brawl when the Pocket Castle's front doors were violently opened by a projectile. As he pulled his mace at the ready, he realized said projectile was a terrified Luka who got violently thrown by someone he couldn't see yet. The hero bounced once, then twice on the ground before ending face first on the ground in front of the commander.

A few seconds afterwards, the other members of his expedition entered. He recognized Sara, his queen, as well as the priestess Sonya, who was in turn followed by Alice, the small monster lord, Alma Elma, the succubus queen, and Hild, the makina girl.

As they made a curiously synchronized entrance, he noticed they were looking down at their surroundings, as if everything was below them. While they were walking toward him, they stepped on Luka as if it wasn't there. The only exception was Alice, who slithered by and slapped his face with her tail. They stopped in front of the flabbergasted commander when Sara started talking.

"Samson, what would you wish for if you were given the opportunity to see your greatest desire come true?"

He kneeled reflexively and looked down before answering solemnly.

"My lady, I have no wish but to protect you and Sabasa as our kingdom grows and prosper."

"Please, do not answer with the usual platitudes inherent to your ranks, you probably have more earthly desires laying in your heart as well."

Sara's face got closer to the commander as she devilishly smirked "Maybe for some materials and to be left alone to enjoy it in a private moment?"

Samson's face reddened, and he answered hurriedly.

"My lady, it is true that I'm interested in activities more proper at night, but my priority remains centered on the kingdom."

He could feel the unconvinced gazes piercing at him even as he was still looking down.

"And also, it would be a shame to wish for such materials when so much companions are wishing to be intimate, and, I apologize for being so forthcoming, not least of them is our beautiful and voluptuous queen."

"Good."

The girls started moving to the bar, when Sara resumed talking without looking back.

"Then you are in charge of explaining to the hero that when he sees a dragon genie who says he can make any wish come true, he should wish for something better than for a porno book and a girl's panties."

As she moved to the back of the castle, Sara gave one final order.

"Also, make sure the actually important items are correctly stocked up."

"Yes, my lady."

He could then hear something about needing a drink and someone muttering "pervert", but it no longer was his concern at this instant. He then turned toward the hero who didn't move an inch during the ordeal.

"Son."

Luka groaned as he was writhing in pain on the floor, while Nuruko was poking him with a tentacle.

"You fucked up."

"Kyu ?"

* * *

-Pocket Castle Bar-

The bar room was more or less empty, save for the few usual half drunk customers. Furthermore, most drinks were unavailable as a lot of bottles got apparently destroyed into an incident that involved a very angry legendary succubus. The party members took a few nameless drinks and sat at a table without any word in a morose ambiance, save for Alma Elma who apparently managed to swipe the infamous book and was looking at it with interest.

"Oooh, you know, this actually gives me ideas to try… too bad there are only human women in that book though. I wonder if they're indicative of Luka-boy's taste." She ended her sentence by licking her lips.

A few seconds afterwards, she showed the content of the book to Sara.

"Doesn't she look like the queen of Grand Noah?"

The other members were not giving any attention to the succubus shenanigans, still plunged in the bottom of their drink as if they could find answers. Alma Elma tried to break the silence to liven up their spirits as she stretched.

"Awww, come on, don't be like that, I know our little hero made dumb choices, but can you blame him ? Boys will be boys, and they always want to discover new experiences."

She brought a hand to her mouth and looked lost in thought for a second. "Although, he could just have asked, I would have given him the best time of his life."

Alice answered in an half-hearted tone: "It's not about that you flying obscenity."

A few more seconds of awkward silence passed before Sonya took a gulp of her drink and felt a newfound determination.

"Let's address the elephant in the room."

"But there's no elephant in the Pocket Castle."

Sonya closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's a metaphor, thank you Hild."

Silence fell for a few seconds before Sonya resumed talking.

"I'm talking about Worldbreaker Luka."

The group fell silent. They were soundly defeated during one of the trials in the Labyrinth of Chaos. They took the offer to fight a powerful enemy, who completely and utterly destroyed them without taking a single scratch, which completely borke the group's confidence in its abilities to face later challenges. It was one thing to get completely trashed in a fight. It was another when the opponent had the face of your leader.

Everyone was once again looking down, except for Alma Elma who had her eyes in the sky, lost in her little world.

"Do you think that could actually happen? I mean, Luka going around and destroying worlds left and right ? And what's the deal with this armor! We've never seen anything like that."

Alice answered. "No he's got too much sugar and rainbows in his head to actually decide to destroy the world. Also, if he wants to follow his father's footsteps, he will also share his goal and…"

Alice's sentence trailed of as she remembered what happened when Luka's dad was last seen.

"…Forget I said anything."

Hild moved closer as if to console a now apathetic monster lord.

Sonya took another gulp of her drink before slamming her cup loudly. "We faced me as a demon and as an angel, and yet…" she pointed at herself "Here I am, the one and only Sonya, Luka's childhood friend."

She looked at Alice. "So don't worry, we've seen weirder than that transdimensionnal Worldbreaker Luka bullcrap, we'll find Marcellus, and we'll kick the crap out of him until he spits out everything and decides to join us, like we always do. Isn't that right?"

Alice gave a half-hearted chuckle. As much as the situation was dire, she was appreciating the support the other residents were offering each other during that time. And with everything they've been enduring those last months, she felt they were becoming a new family. Her new family.

Sara looked down back at her now empty drink as she muttered.

"I wish I knew more about where my father is. They kept telling he fell in Tartarus, but nobody ever found the body."

Alice looked briefly at the princess of Sabasa before answering. "Why don't you ask Morrigan? Considering the Lilith Sisters were involved in your transformation and in several other underhanded plots, it would be surprising if they didn't know anything about it."

Sara's eyes opened wide for a second as the realization actually hit her. She rose suddenly and almost threw her chair backward.

"Pardon me!"

She started running away faster than a human could. Just as the silence fell back on, Sonya asked Alice.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, that Sara go ask Morrigan, of all people, about the fate of her father?"

Alice shrugged. "According to witnesses, he got pushed by a strong gust of wind. What are the odds that a sudden tempest strong enough to carry a mature, muscular man in a hole while being oriented in the good direction suddenly blow the day the king checks Tartarus himself?"

"Besides, the Lilith Sisters are the ones who transformed her, and then they make us deal with the following mess. It's only natural that Morrigan take responsibility for Sara."

Sonya parroted out. "Morrigan, taking responsibility…"

Alice sighed. "Yes, she used to be our enemy, she nearly killed us this time on the boat, she did kill an entire village's population, then she joined us without explaining why and also nearly got us killed by Alma Elma when the latter was looking to take revenge on her, she's also rude in the best of her days…"

Realizing she was digging herself deeper, she shortened her explanation. "She's a powerful succubus, willing to help us, and also got us Alma Elma's support, even if that one was unintended. I'm pretty sure if we do more efforts to make her feel she belongs to our team, she could let slip some more valuable information for us. Besides, she's been reasonable since she joined us, right?"

A loud coughing fit could be heard from the counter. Alice mentally murdered the bunny girl there, and suddenly really wanted to change the subject. She did not want to let slip that Morrigan joined to keep an eye on Sonya who revealed herself to be an apoptosis of the highest class, and that they did, in fact, face her in angel form.

The situation became uncomfortable once again. After what seemed an eternity of pondering, Alma Elma ultimately broke the silence asked the others out loud.

"Do you think he still has the important bits under all that armor?"


	5. Story 5: Morrigan's bad day - Family

« WAKE UP MORRIGAN ! »

The surprised blue-haired succubus jumped up from her bed. She looked warily at her unfamiliar surroundings, before remembering she was now in Luka's pocket castle. It took her several seconds before realizing there wasn't anybody in her room, and that the voice she heard was Astaroth calling her telepathically.

"Hyu, what's up sis?"

She could hear a relieved sigh.

"Thanks the Founder, you're fine. We've been trying to contact you for several hours now. We were starting to think that the succubus queen actually managed to get you."

"I'm fine, sis, she came in right after our last conversation, the hero beat her, and then recruited her. As usual"

Morrigan held her head as she was still feeling a little sick from the last evening. Why did her sisters have to call her for and make that much noise right now? She could hear Astaroth resume her blabbering.

"That was probably one impressive fight, considering how much difficulty she gave us. It's no surprise then you're still recovering."

"Pfff, nah he did take her on the spot and then beat her as if she was a sack of potatoes."

"Even coming from you that sounded horribly wrong." Oh, great, Lilith now had joined the conversation.

"Still, we have the confirmation that the hero is indeed getting stronger. So we will make sure to properly integrate him in our plan for saving this world's inhabitants from now on." The red haired succubus definitely sounded passive aggressive in that last sentence.

"Wait, did something happen back home?"

Astaroth sounded clearly annoyed. "Well, apparently, lady Saja already did contact him when this Heaven's buffoon Raphaela try to show him their ideal world to convince him."

Morrigan was dumbfounded for a moment. There apparently were a few communication problems back there.

"Wait, where- how- when did that happen ?"

"When the hero's team was in Esta, not long before they started their move toward Grangold."

"Hyu, so much for making a first good impression."

"Didn't you attack him beforehand ?"

"That was before we knew someone already had plans for him."

Astaroth was clearly still not over that issue. She continued :

"Besides, if the hero couldn't have proved himself to be strong enough, he would not have been useful to us, and he would have met a nicer death than this world's population."

Lilith took back the opportunity to change the subject.

"Back to the point, we wanted to check on you and find out if you managed to get some insight on the hero's future moves. We also want to make sure the apoptosis going undercover as Sonya isn't creating additional troubles. Lastly, we wanted to ask you to improve our image in the eyes of the hero Luka. We want to make sure he will fully support us in due time."

"Meh, Luka's currently training and gearing up in a pocket dimension called the Labyrinth of Chaos with a few other team mates including Sonya, I accompanied them a few times, and it gets boring after a while. Nothing to write home about, really."

Morrigan stumbled for a bit around before finally lying back on her bed.

"Are you alright, sister? We have difficulty keeping the link up."

"I'm just feeling tired, that's all."

The youngest of the Lilith Sisters could hear some form of mumbling as Lilith was thinking out loud. The former could only make out the sounds "not" several times, before Lilith asked in a falsely light hearted tone.

"Morrigan?"

"Yes?" That wasn't boding well.

"Did the lack of ability to properly satisfy your craving for human essence while indulging in the most fatal form of sadism proper to your person lead you to transfer your desire onto ethylic substances which resulted in a decision to make your body absorb said products under liquid form until you no longer could and are you currently suffering from its aftermath?"

"Whaaat ?" Lilith was talking way too fast and too loud for her.

"You got drunk." That was Astaroth. More straightforward.

"Yes."

The tension was palpable between the sisters. Even if they were separated by several kingdoms, it felt like the two older sisters were ready to lunge across the world at their younger sister to slap her in the face. Several times. With a club.

"Given our predicament, and how much our future rely on the hero wanting to help us get back home, that was probably one of the worst decision you could make." Lilith didn't even sound mad, just incredibly jaded.

Astaroth sighed. "Give me my concern back."

"Please tell me you didn't do anything rash or destructive." Lilith was now sounding definitively concerned.

Morrigan suddenly felt a wave of discomfort as she prepared to recount the experience. It was better to tell everything now rather than to wait for it to pop up at an inopportune time.

"Weeeell, I might have wrecked his castle's bar after those twins named Lilith and Lilim said Morrigan was a named given to rash succubi."

"Great." Even behind the veil of politeness and the motherly tone she used, Lilith's sarcasm was palpable.

"I might have temporarily incapacitated several of his close friends, as well as one or two queens."

"At least you recovered some strength."

"And the last thing I remember was fingering a naked Eden until she passed out. But hey, if they brought me back to my room without chopping my head off, so it means they like me at least a little."

"Riiiiigh-. Wait, Luka recruited Eden? When did that happen?"

Morrigan was no longer listening and kept going on.

"And besides, don't read me the riot act! I still remember that time we had to deal with Kanon's new flowery splices!"

"Morrigan!" Lilith was clearly getting annoyed at her sister's antics.

"Or the one time Hiruko tested the wine-sake-gold cocktail mix! We had to brainwash the whole population of Gold Port to make them think it was the result of a hurricane!"

"MORRIGAN!" Astaroth was about to blow.

"And let's not forget the one time mother and Tamamo had a contest within Esta! Even the local cattle got caught in it!

"Morrigan."A new sensuous voice made itself known.

"And… KYAAAAA!"

Morrigan suddenly jumped up, shaking, as she sobered up in an instant. She was laughing nervously as she talked.

"Mother! Hehehe! I didn't think you would be able to join our little conversation! When did you manage to?"

"It looked like communicating with your world suddenly became easier just barely ago. I dropped in when Lilith was asking if you did any damages in your inebriated status."

Morrigan gulped loudly and started sweating heavily. She was dead. She was so dead. Minagi's sensual voice could be heard again.

"You told that you pleasured Eden until she fainted, and although I wish you kept doing it until she died, I would prefer to learn more about how the hero made her join his team after she fought you."

The succubus replied unsteadily.

"I'm not sure myself, it's neither this world's Eden nor the one from the angel's world, and she apparently joined a long time before me. I didn't get the full details and Luka remains evasive on the subject."

"I see."

The succubus ancestor fell silent for a moment.

"Then it might not be the first world that is seeing this story. That hero likely already went on an adventure where he favored angels to the point of recruiting Eden. I will tell the others about it. We now want to make sure our actions are coherent following a few… strategic changes."

Her tone became more lighthearted afterward.

"Also, behave like a proper succubus in the future. It would be a shame if the hero decided to go against us because he thinks of us as ill-natured life wreckers, and pass up on the pleasures we would gladly offer him as soon as he asks."

"Yes mother!"

"I will see you all soon!" She ended her message in a singsong voice.

Morrigan sighed heavily as she could feel the communication ending. The worst was out of the way for now, but she really had to become extra cautious. How did their mother manage to contact them like that from another world anyway? She was powerful and her own closeness to Luka, who was an anomaly between world, could explain it, but there had to be another reason…

Deciding she needed a breath of fresh air, she stepped up and left her room. She really wanted to change her mind from this conversation and from her family for a second. She heard some commotion as Luka recently came back from an expedition in the Labyrinth. Apparently he had made a more-than-usual dumb choice.

Ah, well. Time to tease the hero.


	6. Story 6: Morrigan's bad day - Sara

As soon as she got out of her room, Morrigan started going on her merry way towards the castle entrance, ignoring all the while the deathly glares that came from the various bystanders that included several victims of her latest drunken rampage. She had more important things to deal with, namely teasing the hero as he just came back from his adventures. When she arrived at the entrance, there was no sign of the hero Luka, but Mephisto, the magician yoma, was standing there. She was discussing with the Grand Noah Queen and a strange, faceless golem that could only be the Grangold king. The only human woman of the group stared daggers at her, but she had to deal with worse in her lifetime and barely registered it.

Mephisto confirmed her that Luka had, in fact, made a stupid decision that involved a wish for a porno book. Said material was now in possession of Alma Elma, the succubus queen, who had mysteriously gone missing not soon after. They also had chosen to evacuate a badly battered Luka so that he could not be exploited by any monster in his moment of weakness. She could feel everybody's glare as Mephisto uttered those last words.

Deciding that she would not get anything more than everyone' scorn by staying there, she decided to move to the barracks.

She was definitively going to have to do better if she wanted to be well considered into Luka's little army.

-Pocket Castle's barracks-

Sara was currently lashing at a training dummy with her sword. She had too many questions on her mind following the latest events. Between everything that was happening in the world, the latest adventure, Luka deciding to make an impressively dense – even insulting – wish, what happened in the Labyrinth, and the resurgent questions about parental figures, she felt the need to utterly destroy something, anything, to clear her mind. She thought she could at least get information about her father from Morrigan: since the Lilith Sisters were involved in her transformation, she was also more than likely to have a hand in her father's disappearance, or, at least, to know about his fate. But, of course, the legendary succubus was nowhere to be seen this morning. Her attacks became more powerful as her frustration was growing by the second.

After several minutes of destruction, the dummy finally broke apart, splinters flying in several destructions. She looked down at the result, panting with a scowl on her face. Several other warriors had stopped their training to look at the scene of destruction. She wordlessly took a towel to dry herself and sat at an empty table without taking notice of everyone's look. Eventually, every being, monsters, humans, and angels alike went back to training silently.

After a few minutes, the Sabasan princess decided to leave to check the newly acquired equipment. It would definitively help her taker her mind of the current matters, and maybe this time they acquired something that would be useful in the future. On her way, however, she bumped into an untypically apologetic Morrigan.

"Ah, found you! I got a question for you!"

Morrigan looked around for a few seconds before deciding it was the time to be the nicest monster she could be.

"Can I help you with anything, your royalty?"

Sara remained stunned for a second, surprised by the unusual kindness present in the succubus voice. She resumed unsteadily.

"A-actually I wanted to ask if you knew what happened to my father."

"Hiyuuuu…" Morrigan's apparent good mood disappeared in the blink of an eye. "I'm not sure you're going to like that one."

"Please, just tell me the truth, I want to know, even if you killed him. I want to be done with it."

The succubus awkwardly scratched the back of her neck. A part of her just wanted to leave the princess and avoid this conversation, while another one reminded her that helping her would definitely help in bringing herself back into the team's grace. When she looked at the begging face of the princess, she eventually settled on the latter.

"Ah, to hell with it."

"I'm all ears."

"To tell you everything, Astaroth was sent to deal with your father while Lilith was tasked with awakening your monster blood. That way, you would have wrecked Sabasa without anyone or anything holding you back. It was the closest path to real history and the best way to save everyone."

"Did she tell you anything about it?" Sara was lightly tearing up, but Morrigan decided it would be better if she gave her the full details.

"It was better to make it look like an accident, so she summoned a gust of wind to push him down. I'm sorry."

"It matches what we heard happened, but we didn't see his body down there!"

"Even if the fall didn't kill him, the apoptosis and the destruction of the world would."

"Are you sure he died? Did you see him getting killed?

"Well, Astaroth did say he was dead, and she wouldn't have any reason to…"

Morrigan stopped dead in her track, her doubt appearing clearly on her eyes. She reflexively brought a hand to her head.

"Heya sis, I got a question from the princess of Sabasa for you… What do you mean right on time? Okay, perfect, after having pushed the king down, did you check if he was dead?"

Sara was looking expectantly at the long distance conversation happening in front of her. She was listening and trying to guess from Morrigan's expression everything the succubus was hearing. The succubus was shaking her head from time to time.

"Yeah, okay, he's dead… yeah, don't repeat it five… six…seven times in a row, I got it after the second." The succubus loudly blew air through her nostrils. "Yeah, yeah, I got it, I got it, you got him despite him struggling. No, I have no reason to doubt you, you're right, what would you do with someone who's that strong and… you know, I'm starting to doubt that you killed him."

Sara looked hopeful for a second.

"So, you did check and he was still wrecking apoptosis? And… You did WHAT? YOU WERE ORDERED TO KILL HIM!"

Sara recoiled as Morrigan suddenly started screaming. The succubus briefly looked at the princess before calming down.

"Yes, it was a good decision and it was close enough, but…Rile him up? Yes, I know you like it when they resist, no, don't go into the details or- I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE SIZE OF HIS SWORD! NO! THE PRINCESS DOESN'T WANT TO KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW!"

The princess eyes widened as she came to the obvious conclusion. At least, her father was alive and likely very well… Morrigan stared awkwardly into her direction. She didn't expect that. At all.

"They're used to it? What do you mean? Yes, I know Lilith transformed her. The second royal couple? What's the link? She was a tight-ass Ilias virgin, and then… WHAT?! AND THEN LILITH DID THAT?! NO! I WON'T ASK HER! NO ! SARA DOESN'T WANT THE KINKY DETAILS EITHER! THANK YOU FOR ALL AND HAVE YOUR FUN!"

Sara was looking absolutely mortified. Morrigan chuckled half heartedly.

"So, hehe…"

"Did you ever wonder why, when your blood awakened, you turned you in a purple haired succubus?"


	7. Story 7: Morrigan's bad day - Mephisto

In the Pocket Castle's armory, Mephisto, the magician yoma, was overseeing the registering and stocking of the new items acquired by Luka on his latest adventures. Using her wand like she was conducting an opera, she guided the different servants that decided to help and were moving the latest acquisitions. Looted items included food that needed to be enchanted to ensure it would remain edible for as long as needed, while equipment would need to be referenced to be later used by the active party. She could frequently hear whispers asking why there was food into abstract pocket dimensions, and whether it was truly edible or not. Mephisto smirked as she knew said food would invariably be gifted by the hero to a monster that would feel left alone, followed by a request for intimacy for a night.

After a few minutes of work, she could feel a magical signature approaching behind her that could be recognized as a wandering Morrigan. She did not turn back as she asked the incoming succubus:

"I heard the Sabasan princess suddenly wanted to do a full magic inquisition to know the whole truth about her genealogy. Am I correct in assuming the responsibility for this decision lie mostly on your shoulders?"

"Weeeell, she might not have taken well the fact that Lilith was possibly involved with her past parents… and that Astaroth is currently acquainting herself with her father."

"Good grief, I thought wrecking lives was more in the line of what the fox kin would do. You really like destroying people lives before killing them, don't you?"

"Hey! I'm not the one responsible for this one! It's not my fault my sisters cannot control their drives! We're succubi, after all!"

"I have succubi students that are more responsible than you while being several times younger. Maybe you should receive a new education from a more reliable source."

Morrigan burst into a laugh as if she heard the joke of the year.

"Don't make me laugh! You? Reliable? Pfwahahaha!"

"I fear I don't understand what you mean."

"Oh, please, remember when you betrayed Lilith and attacked Grangold? Ring any bell? Weren't you supposed to help us? I do remember the Monster Lord of this world forming one of those contract you seems to like so much with you."

Mephisto smiled at the succubus while fiddling with her wand.

"Where is the issue? I held up the end of any bargain I took. The monster lord asked me to help Grand Noah to the best of my ability and I did. She also asked me to inform your sister Lilith on what happened in the region and I did. What she did with the information was no longer my responsibility."

Morrigan suddenly got closer to Mephisto and smiled creepily.

"Riiight. And then the Grand Noah Queen told you to come up with a plan to help take down Lilith and Grangold, and you did. Then she told you to directly help Luka, and you did."

She then proceeded to shove her still smiling face into the yoma in an attempt to intimidate het. The latter did not visibly react to the intrusion into her personnal space.

"Where was the bargain with the Fifteenth in that?!"

Mephisto gave a nudge with her wand into Morrigan's face to push her back slightly.

"The contract with the now defunct monster lord lost its value once I was in the hero's custody, as it confirmed she could not uphold her end of the bargain which was to guarantee my safety. But of course, I don't hold it against her since she had other uses for the resources available at hand. As I accepted to be a disposable pawn, she had accepted that my loyalty goes first and foremost to the one I am in a contract with."

Morrigan was as surprised by the answer as she was by the wand in her face. She blurted out:

"And you didn't consider your loyalty to monsterkind at large?"

The yoma closed her eyes for a short moment as she was carefully choosing her words.

"By loyalty to monsterkind, I suppose you mean loyalty to the Founder, which by proxy would mean loyalty to you and your sisters."

"Yes!" Morrigan's tone became more sarcastic. "Or should we have formed another contract while asking you to leave the little hero?"

Mephisto declared solemnly.

"As I said, my loyalty goes to the ones I have a deal with. I would not be so crass as to sign up an agreement with someone when said agreement would compromise the original one. I choose to do so by my own volition. It is a part of what drives me as a monster, as some are driven by their desire to be stronger, some others by their raw lust, and even some by a desire to inflict pain on the ones they see as weaker. I noticed the latter ones are not always as smart as they think, as they have a tendency to notice too late when they pick on bigger than them."

Morrigan scowled for a moment before she looked down. "Touché."

Mephisto looked on her side as a scylla maid was handing her a clipboard. The task at hand was finally complete, and she did not have any more tasks for the evening. Maybe she would take a trip to Grandeur to enjoy the spectacles given there… The coliseum still left a bitter taste in her mouth after the incident with Alma Elma.

She took a long look at the items acquired. Of course, the document confirmed most were food items that would be managed by the hero or the cooks later on. However, there were also several useful accessories: A bracelet of strength named Giganto Wrist, a Shadow Cape of evasion, several ability boosting scrolls, and a vial containing…

Mephisto's eyes widened for a second. It was only when she saw Morrigan's surprised expression that she realized she swore several times. Of course, the succubus took notice and was already trying to take a peek at the list.

"Calm down, you can take a look. Yes, there are some items that will interest you."

The succubus snatched the list without a word and started browsing the items. As soon as she started showing her typical insane grin, Mephisto realized she might have made a big mistake.

The yoma magus pinched the bridge of her nose. It seemed that move became prominent in the castle those last weeks.

"Just don't do anything stupid such as using it on Luka… Are you even listening? No? Good grief…"

The succubus was already out of her line of sight before Mephisto ended her last sentence. A part of the magician did not want to admit that one of the reasons she did not make any effort toward getting back on the monster lord's side was the sheer exhaustion she suffered each time she had to deal with the Founder's representatives. Why, of all the people she had at hand, did she send those three succubi? They were as impulsive as one could be, as proud as they were powerful, and had a sex drive to match. On their own, they were the mistresses of "didn't think that one through," and it was clear nobody in this world had a leash on them. She had reached the point where she preferred taking a chance and cross the sisters path than having to deal daily with them any longer. Until the day Luka somehow managed to recruit one. Then she both had to deal daily with one of them and the fear of crossing the others' path.

"Is something wrong?"

She didn't even notice the small monster lord that approached her, her arms crossed in her usual posture.

"Nothing more than the usual mixed feelings of fear and exhaustion one suffers after having dealt with Morrigan".

Alice sighed heavily.

"Well, it's not like we wanted her to join us. I trust her even less than you. What is she actually doing?"

Mephisto's tone tried to remain as neutral as possible.

"I do not know yet, but she took one of the items recently acquired, and, going by her insane expression, I do not think she is up to anything good."

"What item did she took?"

"Minagi's vaginal fluids."

Alipheese remained dumbfounded for several moments, only emitting inarticulate sounds, until Mephisto clarified the situation.

"I am not sure if the liquid actually is what its namesake designs it as, but it apparently incapacitates anyone who would lose itself in its sex drive. It would be very effective against anyone weak to pleasure, such as beast monsters, the hero…"

"Or the angels in the chapel?"

Mephisto and Alice looked at each other with fear in their eyes.

"Should we at least warn them?"

"No, they wouldn't trust what we have to say anyway."

Alice grinned evilly.

"We can as well enjoy the show for once."


	8. Story 8: Morrigan's bad day - The Prank

Surrounded by angels, Eden was praying into the Pocket Castle's chapel, kneeling on the ground. Her mind was in shamble after a quick succession of events that she had difficulty remembering for a reason. She recalled joining Luka and his team on their mission to protect the world, but she also remembered her vow back then to only act on Ilias order. So why did she join them? She knew that their goal was important, as they needed to work to protect the world against its upcoming end, but the only reason she would have to follow them would have been if Ilias had personally ordered her to. But she no longer was with them. Eden remembered with a certain horror the moment her goddess was murdered by those abominable succubi. A tear fell from ran on her cheek as she remembered the moment she got assassinated "for the greater good". What greater thing there could be than serving the goddess of light?

She missed those days, where her dreams were to follow the orders of her Goddess and apply her will in Heaven until the end of time. She missed her presence and her voice. She missed the happiness she had in the lost Heaven. She missed the purpose she once had. She missed Ilias. She missed following her instructions.

But the guiding light was no longer there, and with her the guidance needed to protect the world was non-existent. Even worse, -she shivered-, she now had to work with monsters, including that shameless whore Morrigan who had a hand in killing her beloved leader. Lately, said succubus further humiliated and molested her in a rampage. She could not understand how such behavior could be tolerated. Demons like those were supposed to be casted into the fires of hell, and not elevated to the rank of ally! This defiler had been put on the same level of her fellow angels who always supported Ilias unconditionally!

But now, even after the most recent events, some angels had lost their way, as they were accepting, and sometimes even willing to follow instructions given by the son of Lucifina or his cohort of monsters. And she was expected to follow him as she would follow her one true goddess!

She wanted a chance to show her worth again to Ilias, the only being truly deserving to be served by her. Even some monsters chose to turn from their creator to worship her. It was natural that they rose from the darkness to turn to the light. She remembered her as the one presence above everything that was.

She suddenly felt heavy. It a small voice in her head told her that what she remembered was wrong, and that what happened wasn't so nice. Ilias was not the best leader. Ilias didn't acknowledge Eden as much as she should have. Ilias preferred others until they betrayed her. You couldn't save Ilias. You were the weaker seraph.

"What's up big sis?"

Eden suddenly opened her eyes, and her whole field of vision was filled with Lucifina-chan's upside down smiling expression. She pushed a small cry and instantly got up. The little angel gracefully jumped from the back of her sister on the ground in front of her. Eden scowled for a moment as she wanted to scold her little sister for this prank, but seeing her happy expression softened the third seraph, and she instead decided that her younger sister could just enjoy a small lesson.

"You should not disturb big sis Eden in her prayer to Ilias. Even if the goddess is no longer with us, we must still follow her teachings… Anyway, did you want anything?"

Lucifina-chan smiled enthusiastically.

"Miss blue succubus said she wanted to see you at the library!"

Eden's expression tensed subtly for a moment. Was it a joke? Another trap? She definitely didn't want to deal with that bitch for a single more second.

"Ask Christie to tell this who… her friend that Eden is currently very busy and does not have the time to spare to meet her."

Eden turned back to the statue of Ilias that was adorning the chapel, still looking for answers. Meanwhile, Lucifina had her own lot of issues, as the succubus nun apparently did not want to deal with her kin. Eden was temporarily puzzled. Why was she so reluctant? Weren't they from the same race?

Eventually, the slug and the lamia nun decided to accompany her to support their friend. As the other miko monsters usually roaming there were training in the theater right now, only angels were currently occupying the chapel. Not enough to Eden's taste, as several were too close to monsters and were now venturing around, no longer seeking the light they should be looking to serve. Only the purest followers of Ilias were in this room now.

* * *

-Main hall-

Christie was breathing heavily as she climbed the stairs leading to the Pocket Castle's library. It was not the effort that took her breath -a small flight of stairs was nothing-, but the apprehension of having to deal with Morrigan.

She was fearful of the legendary succubus. The latter was known to be excessively cruel and did not hesitate to make herself and her dominant position known through excessive use of her aura. Why couldn't she just act like a normal succubus, and find herself a healthy boy to ride and…

Those repulsive desires were showing up in her mind again. The succubus nun slowly exhaled as she tried to relax. Every time she looked to her elders for an advice, she only got a "listen to your body, be honest with your desires", which was the exact opposite of what she wanted.

As she entered the library, she saw Morrigan's back as the youngest of the Lilith sister was sitting at a table while conversing with Airy, the current fairy queen, and Titania, another incredibly powerful fairy. Both of her interlocutors were dangerous pranksters, and hearing them laughing did not bode well for any future victim. The table was covered with a messy pile of accessories.

She stopped with her friends a few feet behind the succubus and politely coughed to attract her attention. The trio looked at her without interest and asked the question she feared.

"Do you want anything?"

"I came here to tell you that Eden declined your invitation as she cannot currently spare the time to discuss any matter with you."

She sweated heavily as she pronounced those words. She hoped this would not make her a target for what the trio at the table had planned.

Morrigan pouted and crossed her arms like a child who was denied the last cookie. She soon started smiling again, however, and cheerfully addressed the nun back.

"Aaah, don't worry about that, I'll probably go see her myself later. Anyway, why don't you have a seat? We were talking about what the hero found on his latest expedition."

Her excessively friendly behavior was worrying, and Christie felt like a little mouse being invited by a snake to go straight into its gullet. The "friends" that accompanied her had decided to scurry away discretely. She decided that fleeing was more likely to anger the group, and as such taking the seat offered was the better of the two options.

Morrigan was handling various items to show the nun.

"Look at all the stuff the hero keeps acquiring! We've got a ton of power scrolls, several status guards, elemental tomes, and there even was… wait, I thought it was just here?" Morrigan went back to checking the pile's content. "I was sure it was just there, it didn't move on its own, did it? You never know with that stuff."

As the legendary succubus was focused on a part of the pile, the nun's hand slowly moved toward one of the Horny Guard stocked under a pile of precariously stacked items. She kept her eyes on Morrigan as the latter was busy searching through the pile. As the nun felt her hand holding the chain, she tried pulling the guard delicately. As soon as she forced a little more, the pile crumbled on her hand. When she pulled it from under the mess under everyone's gaze, it was covered in a substance her mind refused to properly identify.

"Gotcha!"

Titania bounced on her chair enthusiastically like an hyperactive child while the other two pranksters were smiling evilly at the nun. Morrigan leaned back on her chair and crossed her arms.

"Meh, that was so predictable even that idiot hero could have seen through it."

In front of the nun's expression, Morrigan's voice softened.

"Awww, don't worry, we'll clean the stuff ourselves, and we'll bring some of the guards to the bar, they asked for it after a small incident. In which I miiiight have had a little hand."

"Anyway, see ya later; we've got work to do now!"

Christie got up as fast as proper etiquette dictated and left the trio. She was glad that it was over and went back on her way as she was thinking about what to do next once she would have properly washed her hands. Maybe she would go back to rest to San Ilia, she could find support here, maybe even a young chorus boy to give her company for the night…

As the lewd thought crossed her mind, she felt her body temperature rising. She started to move back to her room as her hand unconsciously crept toward her lower body. As soon as she reached for her crotch, a powerful shockwave of raw delight rocked her body. The pleasure was so absolute she instantly came and fainted on the spot. Her body crumpled on the floor like a wet towel as she emitted a small cry. She felt she was both in hell and heaven, and as she couldn't hear any of the concerned cries sounding through the hallways, she wondered what exactly had those fairies planned with that liquid.

A small figure looked at the scene from afar, smirking at the result of her work. After enjoying the resulting chaos for a few seconds, the fairy queen went back to Morrigan. She took a break mid flight as a devious plan formed inside her head. Maybe she would need Sylph's help for this one. The wind spirit could be an airhead, but her power over the wind and her supportive abilities would help them pull this plan through.

* * *

-Castle's forest-

"YOU WANT TO DO WHAT?!"

Airy sighed as Sylph screamed after she asked her to remain subtle. Luckily, she already did cast a subtle spell to prevent possible eavesdroppers from interfering. Still, she'd have expected someone as old as the world to at least have some form of wisdom and restraint. Sylph had clearly none.

The fairy queen started again:

"We need your mastery over the wind to help us pull a prank over angels. Luka acquired an item that would be able to wreck their mind with pleasure." She showed the vial containing the fluid. "While I keep them busy with Titania, you spray the entire vial's content on them, and Morrigan will cast a spell to amplify the fluid's effect."

"Show me! Show me the bottle! What's in it?"

Sylph snatched the vial and looked at it for a second, before screaming in a surprise.

"Whaaaat? Big nympho lady found time to give you her stuff? I thought she was reeled."

She didn't think that Sylph would remember the succubus ancestor. She did consider that they probably met, yes, but that the wind spirit would remember her? No, she certainly didn't. She didn't want either to try explaining how Luka kept getting more equipment from another dimension either. She started praying that Sylph would not ask her.

"But this could be fun anyway! I'm pretty sure they'll be more open to new experiences after that!"

"Good. And she was sealed by the way, not reeled." She was relieved. One problem avoided.

Airy's smile grew devious.

"But there's something else I also want you to do…"

* * *

-Pocket Castle chapel-

Eden kept praying with her fellow angels in the chapel as she could start hearing something. It was very faint over the chanting, but she could hear the flapping of small wings, and they didn't sound like an angel's. She started scanning around her to identify the source of the noise, and eventually her gaze settled on a pair of fairies who were pulling a cloth near a piano. Unhappy to see the little pranksters in the room, Eden eventually decided to deal with them before they could do anything.

"What are you doing here." Her tone was inquisitive, carrying an yet unspoken accusation.

Titania tried to look innocent by pretending to look for someone else, and failed miserably. Eden was looking at the cloth the two fairies were holding. She ruthlessly pulled it out from their hand, and, after taking a look, noticed it was covered with symbols frequently associated with succubi.

"Are you trying to desecrate the only holy place in this wretched castle? We will not tolerate it!"

"No monsters should come in those allowed grounds!"

Airy started answering back, hoping to attract more attention.

"You know this castle was designed by monsters, right? So it means you're enjoying a monster's home!"

"Don't be an insolent fool! Your existence is an affront to the goddess."

The angels standing at the back eventually came closer to the scene, either curious or angry. As Eden was closing in, Airy took a look to get sure that all angels were as cluttered as possible.

"SYLPH! NOW!"

The Wind spirit entered into action. A gust of wind sprayed a thin mist over all the area, surprising the angels.

"What the…"

"Hey, what did you do?"

"OH SWEET ILIAS! WHAT IS THAT!"

The two fairies also shouted in a surprise.

"Hey! Sylph! We also got sprayed. "

"DON'T-"

"GLANCE ARD!"

Angels and fairies alike fell down as they all climaxed simultaneously. After a few seconds, Morrigan entered the chapel, laughing maniacally as she admired the result of her plan.

"PFWHAHAHAHA! How's that going for you? Can't deal with a little pleasure! Angels sure are we-KYIAAA!"

Morrigan shouted as she suddenly felt a spray of liquid in her back. She turned around and instantly used her aura to molest the wind spirit to the point of incapacitating her.

"Pfwahaha! You really think that it would work on an actual daughter of Minagi-i-i-i! Hiyyuuu…"

Morrigan started freezing up as she was seized by waves of pleasure. Even her innate resistance was not enough to block the effect of the liquid. She climaxed and dropped down on Eden while looking at the mischievous wind spirit. Before she passed out, she felt a small burst of primordial darkness explode in a corner of the room.

Have someone been watching her?

-10 minutes later-

"What." Luka only had gotten up a few minutes ago, but he already felt exhausted when the scene in front of him revealed itself.

Mephisto came to his few minutes ago with a box filled with ribbons and Phoenix downs asking for a hand in "cleaning a mess some monsters did." He did not know what to expect, but when he entered the chapel, he could see several angels passed out from climax, the two most powerful fairies, Sylph, as well as the infamous succubus Morrigan. The stench was making him dizzy, and it took every bit of his will to not just leave to retch. Only a few monsters were here to help, as using a ribbon was apparently mandatory to safely enter the chapel, and they did not have nearly enough to equip everyone with one.

The cleaning team spread out as monsters started using phoenix downs to help the affected angels recover. Luka directly went to the center podium where Morrigan was lying on top of Eden again.

"Does anybody know what happened?"

Mephisto answered, as she was using a phoenix down on another angel soldier that was slumped over a statue.

"Not exactly, but I have a clear idea from here."

Luka waited a few seconds before asking again.

"Soooo, are you going to tell us?"

"No. And keep your ribbon up. Trust me on this once. And go ask Alrauna for a hand in cleaning the residual magic. You don't want to be affected by that."

Luka obliged. As he left the room, he briefly touched the ribbon adorning his hair. As out of place the accessory was looking, it was better than having to endure the alternative. He took another look toward the crumpled form of Morrigan. He wondered how much antics he'd have to endure from the youngest of the Lilith Sisters, and how did her sisters behave in comparison. A part of him wanted kick her out to never have to deal with that again, but they'd probably find another unpleasant way to insert themselves in his life. Even if it was for a "noble end", he did not want Ilias Village to end like Luddite Village.

He had to deal with the end of a world, a total war between monsters and humans, endless intrigues involving his uncle in the mafia, learning that his whole life was not what it should have been, and, finally, the perspective of being a key pawn in an upcoming war for the control of the world's population between two goddesses.

He initially just wanted to find his father. A "simple, wholesome adventure" as Lazarus would have said. Well, part of this dream was achieved when he finally saw him between dimensions. Then everything utterly shattered when he heard Morrigan said he killed Alice's mother. And while the succubus was not always the most trustworthy, he knew for a fact deep down that was true. And that if his father did it, he probably had a good reason to do it. It didn't prevent his relation with Alice to grow even colder than at the beginning of his adventure.

Eventually, he voluntarily lost himself when looking for the queen Alrauna. Everybody could wait for a second; as his mind was recapping again and again all the recent events, from his departure from his village to this moment, without forgetting the revelation he endured as he was journeying through Heaven's Ilias Temple. His breath was growing more ragged as he started fearing what would come next.

Next time he'd see this dragon in the Labyrinth of Chaos, he was going to wish for some coffee. Maybe it would help clear his mind up.

* * *

As the cleaning operation continued in his absence, Mephisto started to mutter for herself.

"I'm going to make sure that only Luka can have access to the inventory management. It should reduce the odds of that happening again."

Her gaze turned toward the still unconscious succubus.

"I wonder what your mother is thinking of you right now. Not that I want to ask her personally."

She brought a phoenix tail to the succubus to reanimate her.

"How about we reeducate you, mmmh? I'm pretty sure your grandmother wouldn't disapprove."


	9. Story 9: Morrigan's bad day - Elsewhere

-Makai world, Monster Lord's castle throne room-

Alipheese the 1st, Founder of all Monsterkind, Mother of darkness was wallowed on the throne, particularly annoyed as the orb in her hand finally went dark. She had managed to join up the conversation Minagi had with her daughters earlier, and was aghast. She did see everything Morrigan did and said from the moment Minagi joined the conversation to the moment the succubus got double crossed and humiliated publicly thanks to her idiotic prank.

Several things were going through her head, with each and every one of them starting by WHY. WHY did they choose to send monsters as unreliable as succubi? WHY did those three took so much time and so much sadistic glee in their work? WHY did they leave Morrigan unsupervised to watch over the apoptosis and the hero's growing power? WHY were so many other worlds trying to save this one? Weren't they aware that their intervention only further increased the chaosization rate? WHY did that man, Marcellus, did kill the local monster lord? WHY did the other world Tamamo refuse to cooperate? She was now a wild card and probably the one that could the most easily find her plans, and counter them if she had the support, which- WHY WAS SHE SUPPORTING THE SON OF LUCIFINA?

The Dark Goddess threw the orb across the room and enjoyed the sound it made as it exploded against a pillar in a rain of crystal shards. She exhaled slowly and closed her eye,s as she did not want her nervous anger to get the better of her in such a time. She cooled down and started thinking about the latest issue that was rising.

It was becoming clear that the hero Luka, Lucifina's son, was stepping up on the board. A part of her wanted to test him to be sure he would be strong enough and a valid support, but she was afraid that antagonizing him further would prove problematic. His team would prove a welcome addition as well, and would deny the angels several of their own. But following the recent events that involved Morrigan, she was starting to doubt that the hero would spontaneously rally her cause.

As she relaxed on the throne, her eyes closed, she could hear a small slithering noise. As she reopened her eyes, she could see a clipboard held by a tentacle hanging a few feet from her face. Her daughter's latest reports finally arrived. She repositioned herself in a more appropriate position and nodded toward the tentacle as the latter pulled back to one of the room's shadowy corner.

Great, it looked like Tamamo was asking for additional men for help after she got carried away in a recovery session following the failed attempt to destroy the other world. And Minagi was asking why so few men were coming to join her feast in San Ilia. Well maybe if some came back alive to share their experience, more would gladly join her. Also if she did not pull that little communication stunt, she would not need even more humans than usual to sate her boundless lust.

Kanon and Kanade were still working on the demiurge project as well as on the new apocalypse plan, and were apparently making a steady progress. But Kanon also needed more men to maintain the environment required to create the weapon, while Kanade apparently also "got carried away". It was probably nothing too serious for now, but the lack of details already told the Dark Goddess she wouldn't like hearing how many people ended up victim to the slime's gluttony.

Saja apparently had some difficulties as the rebels were still periodically attacking her, despite the heavy casualties they apparently kept taking. She frowned as time was running short, and minor, easily avoidable crisis kept piling up and taking more resources. The interventions of the new archangels, those twins, and the perpetual interferences of the White Rabbi were already creating enough troubles without her children creating new ones.

"Is there a problem, mother?"

Hiruko's childish voice could be heard as the Scylla ancestor came from a shadow. Her child-like body and demeanor were a radical change from her shameless, well endowed sisters, but she was as capable and, despite her comparatively modest clothing, had the same insatiable sexual appetites. Two of her tentacles were tightly twinning and crawling around her legs, which confirmed Alipheese that, despite her smile, her child was quite nervous.

Alipheese smiled maternally at her creation. Even if she was still closer to Tamamo or Saja, she found Hiruko's boundless curiosity and desire to serve refreshing. She was glad the Scylla stopped by to say hello -even if it was at the cost of a few servants who disappeared after she requested her company-. Besides, she usually had enough self control to avoid showing the uglier part of monsterkind to public that usually took the form of a pile of dessiccated bodies. Or at least, she was careful enough to clean afterwards. Maybe she should have sent her instead…

"Just the usual troubles your sisters like to create so much, nothing serious for the moment. I suppose that if you're here, it means the seas are currently safe."

The Scylla ancestor's tentacles loosened as she relaxed. Good, at least one of her children was going to make her day better.

"Nothing new here, we managed to properly take care of a rebel ship and its crew that were trying their luck at sea, but nothing exceptional. They're too afraid now to go out there. She smiled with her face contorting into an uncanny expression before she reassumed her signature smirk."

"Is there a particular reason for your presence? You're always welcome, but I thought you would have your hand full, between your involvement with the demiurge project and all the territory you have to cover."

Hiruko stretched her arms in a curiously human way; several new tentacles appeared from under her skirt for a split second before retracting.

"I just passed by because I was curious about what you planned to do about that hero, Luka. Tamamo and Saja keep talking about him, and when I ask they tell me that he's the key to our plan. Buuut, I think in reality they already both have their sights on him and want to suck him dry. And I'm pretty sure Minagi would also like to have a taste after her daughters kept singing praise of him. And when it comes to Kanon and Kanade, well…"

"They'll jump him as soon as the opportunity presents itself. And you, are you not interested in him?" Alipheese grinned as she asked the question to her daughter.

Hiruko shrugged and answered half-heartedly.

"I didn't see him myself yet, but he sounds interesting. I mean, he has the blood of an angel, he did travel a lot, gave the sisters a run for their money, and wants to live happily with monsters… He doesn't seem too regarding when it comes to appearances, and probably has a lot of stamina if he managed to deal with that many partners. So… I'll try to see him myself later. That could maybe be fun."

Alipheese saw through the disinterested tone as her supernatural senses picked up a subtle, repeated squishing noise. The ancestor was subtly working herself up with her tentacles. All of her creations indeed wanted to lay with the hero.

Alipheese's tone became solemn.

"To answer your question about the Daystar's son, we will definitively work toward integrating him in the best way possible. We do not want to give a chance to the angels to recruit him, his growing power could easily tip the scale in their favor if they do so. His ability to travel between dimensions will be vital if we want to save the Lilith Sisters, and if we want to intervene without being blocked by that annoying Great Seal. We will see later to whom his presence will profit the most."

Hiruko nodded as she absorbed the information. Alipheese's tone became more familiar.

"But first, go take a rest for today. We shall have a little discussion with your sister in San Ilia about her communication stunt."

Hiruko bowed and turned back to the room's entrance. Once outside, she seductively beckoned an old human servant who seemed both eager and afraid to follow her. She flashed a last smile at her mother as she closed the door to the throne's room.

As she was finally alone, the Dark Goddess sighed. She did not initially plan for a new actor in this conflict, and certainly did not think her forces would repeatedly fight him. She also would have liked the situation to go more smoothly, but it would have required a more hand on approach for her, and doing so would have destabilized the world even faster. Besides, Minagi was probably right when she theorized that the hero was not following this adventure for the first time. There was no reason for Eden to be with him, and yet… here she was.

However, Alipheese was confident that the hero could be swayed to her side by the Lilith sisters. Even if they used to have an antagonistic relationship, his acceptance of Morrigan after she presented their plan meant he could willingly support monsters further. Besides, they could still use seduction magic to subtly make him more open to their idea. And if neither them nor the ancestors could manage to convince him, well…

She could probably do it herself.


	10. Story 10: Pilate's path - Daily routine

Pilate woke up in his own room in the Pocket Castle, and took a wary look at his surroundings. Even after so much time, he was still not used to the supernatural luxury of his new home. He eventually relaxed and got up from his bed to prepare for the day.

The soldier looked at his reflection in the mirror as he shaved himself. A part of him thought the action was unnecessary, as he no longer was a guard at Ilias Temple and there wasn't any "clean shave" standard, but he still found this routine reassuring in front of the changes that were happening around him.

After he was done, he dried himself using a towel. He was enjoying a little too much for his own taste the supernatural comfort his new residence was able to give him. Smiling, he flexed his developed muscles in front of the mirror. His reforged body confirmed that this experience on the road had made him stronger.

He himself was one of the first companions that joined the hero Luka on his adventure. He never thought the young man would become so powerful and popular, and while he himself became stronger (which wasn't hard considering his old days consisted of waiting around in a village that never came under attack from a monster stronger than a lost imp), he still felt overshadowed by the stronger monsters they were facing and by the hero himself.

The hero however still recognized his strength and acknowledged him as a valuable party member. Even after all this time, he regularly was a member in the hero's team, following him in his expeditions around the world. Together they had faced the abominations of Tartarus, the burning depths of the Lava Mines, and the queen of the vampires in her lair. As the enemies the hero faced were becoming stronger, he was worried he would no longer be able to keep up. But times and times again, he managed to overcome the odds and face monsters whose simple presence would have made him flee in fear in the past. Even then, he was still growing concerned by what opponents he would get to face with the hero. More queen class monsters? The Monster Lord? The Dark Goddess herself?

He took a minute to address a prayer to the goddess Ilias. He wished for the ability to protect his friends against the marauding attacks. He asked for the strength to deal with current events with courage. He begged for support in this dark hour. And, most of all, he prayed for the strength to not fall to the charm of the other castle's residents.

Most of the monsters were very forward in their advance toward the male residents, and relentlessly teased him when the occasions presented themselves. He was still a follower of Ilias, and while he did not hesitate to work with monsters, having intercourse with them was out of the question.

For a moment, he started wondering if Luka did not have an ulterior motive for recruiting so many monsters. However, on second thoughts, he considered the hero's entourage and knew deep down that Sonya would certainly not let him do so if that was the case. No, Luka only welcomed every help available and wanted everyone to coexist happily…

He rose up and took a look at his armor. It no longer was the old rusty plate given to the soldier's temple accompanied by a dull copper sword, but instead his whole equipment was crafted with rainbow material. At first, he found the armor gaudy and ridiculous, but after using it a little, he soon found himself at ease when using it and could not deny the sheer resistance the material seemed to possess. It could tank blow that would have reduced his old armor to scraps and still remain as pristine as the first time he saw it.

As he put on his helmet, he prepared to exit his room to go to the Pocket Castle's dining room. It was time for breakfast, and, after all, a man should not train on an empty stomach.

At this time, most of the residents discussing in the dining area were humans. Most monsters were apparently late sleepers because of their nightly activities, which was a useful information to consider when you didn't want to deal with their advances all day long. He took a small plate of fried eggs and naturally sat near Samson, the head of Sabasa's royal guards. The latter was apparently in a deep conversation with Julia, a mercenary who came from Grand Noah. Upon seeing his friend, the royal commander pushed himself a little to make way. The respect between both men had grown a lot since they first met, as they faced together a lot of monsters on their adventure. As he started eating, Pilate asked his friend about the latest news.

"Well, everybody is on the edge after the Monster Lord's assault, a fish with legs was seen working on the road of Sabasa -an actual fish, not Diamrem-, Grandeur had to deal with rains so heavy they had to ask a giant worm girl to make a canal to avoid inundations, and the Oasis of Blessing somehow erupted. So, in short, nothing unusual."

Julia crossed her arms over the table and leaned in to join the conversation.

"The coliseum is still running in Grand Noah as if nothing is happening. Seeing people not react to snow in the middle of summer in this region is probably as strange as the snow itself. And everyone is trying to figure the identity of their favorite artist to ask for more paintings, novels or compositions… You name it, they beg for it."

"I didn't know there were that many artists in Grand Noah."

Julia smiled awkwardly while playing around with her mug.

"Weeeell, I recently learned an interesting tidbit of information about that. Apparently, several of those works are coming from one and only one artist who is not originally from Grand Noah, but rather from the wild lands outside if you know what I mean."

Samson chuckled. "Well, I didn't think a human would have so many talents anyway, so what monster does-."

"It's Alma Elma."

Pilate chocked on his food and started coughing, while Samson was dumbfounded.

"The Succubus Queen?"

Pilate was still trying to catch his breath.

"That… flying… obscenity?"

Julia closed her eyes and nodded solemnly.

"Yes, nobody outside the castle knows about it, and I only discovered it when I talked with her in private."

Pilate rose a finger.

"By in private you mean…"

The mercenary slammed her elbows on the table while looking down.

"I wanted some advices from her to pleasure my opponents more effectively as a battle fucker, nothing untoward happened, I didn't ask her to help me relieve stress, get your mind out of the gutter."

Julia exhaled loudly for several seconds, before looking quickly at Samson, then at Pilate.

"But you both could make use of our services if you wish, I will gladly offer you a hand if you want, and even more if you ask."

She flashed a devilish grin at Pilate as she ended her sentence. The latter took a look at his finished plate, politely excused himself, and started walking briskly toward the exit as he decided it was time to start training. As he closed the door, Julia leaned back while stretching and looked at Samson.

"So, how much longer do you think our little soldier will go without falling into a monster's honey trap?"

"I don't know, I didn't think he would hold that long. Considering he managed to evade the succubus harem's grasp and is still refusing their advance, I think he'll end up dying without getting to taste the pleasure of a monster. But by refusing to fall to their advance, he show he's dedicated to his ideal, just as I am!"

The woman from Grand Noah broke into laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"You still smell like Sara's perfume."

Samson looked down, ashamed. Remaining focused and professional when taking care of his queen was a bit harder when she randomly assumed her succubus appearance to mess with him.

Julia turned toward the door.

"But in his case, he could REALLY make use of some private time with the other residents."

After a few seconds, she started leaning seductively toward Samson.

"So do you want to-"

"I am loyal to my queen."

"I figured as much, but actually, I wanted to ask you if you were going to participate into the upcoming tournament organized by the Grand Noah queen."

Samson looked ashamed for a few seconds before answering.

"Yes, I'm already on the list."


	11. Story 11: Pilate's path - Overwhelmed

After seeing barely anyone while crossing the castle, Pilate finally reached the training room. Even this part of the castle was unusually calm. He could only see Salaan and Shoki, the two assassins of Sabasa, who were discussing with Kasumi, an elven kunoichi. Of the three, only Shoki had her face revealed. Pilate asked himself why they bothered covering their faces when everybody recognized their manners and dark clothing anyway. Salaan invited him.

"Greetings, Pilate, did you come here to train?"

The soldier from Iliasville didn't feel at ease, surrounded by people who specialized in murdering their targets in the shadows rather than in good old chivalrous fights. However, the assassins had soon revealed themselves more honest than he expected, and they even were good -if somewhat gloom- company. And at least they kept to themselves.

"I wanted to spar against a fellow swordsman to prepare for the tournament, but I can't find her."

"Were you looking to test yourself against someone in particular?"

"I hoped to train against Regina. I didn't have the occasion to face her sword skills in all that time, and I wanted to change that."

Also he appreciated that she didn't want to get on top of everything that moved. As much as he loved sparring against Izuna, the kitsune's advances were becoming more pressing. He wanted to become stronger to protect the world, not to bed monsters.

Kasumi answered the soldier.

"She left for the Gold Region a few hours ago."

Pilate sighed as he looked around the almost empty room.

"I wanted to train my skills for the tournament that is going to happen soon in Grand Noah, but I don't think anybody who's staying in the castle right now wants to spar."

Kasumi got up in a swift motion and took a fighting stance.

"We're assassins, we do not fight in the light."

Neither of the other assassins reacted to their colleague's movement. The elven kunoichi eventually sat down back without a word, but looked slightly ashamed of her outburst. Salaan eventually explained the situation to the soldier.

"You choose a bad time to come here, most people went on the road to train in their own corner. They all hope to develop some secret skills far from prying eyes." She accentuated the end of her sentence to highlight how ridiculous it apparently sounded. "But right now, there are so many people training in the wilds that they're starting to run low on targets to spar with."

Shoki smiled.

"On the plus side, I'm pretty sure monsters will be less likely to attack travelers after that one."

Her expression fell right afterwards.

"At least none of them had the brilliant idea to go wander near the past Monster Lord's castle…"

Thinking about the hero's current goals, Pilate asked around him.

"Do you think destroying it would help us against the Monster Lord?"

Sallan answered simply. "No."

"I mean, if we destroy it in the past..." Pilate was insisting, hoping for an easier solution than what they would have to deal with.

Salaan made a dismissive movement with her hand.

"It is from the past from another dimension, destroying it would only damage the dimension there. Furthermore Luka and their majesties made it clear that leaving this world for another one, even temporarily would only attract unwanted attention from the apoptosis."

Shoki leaned back.

"It didn't prevent him from recruiting some locals, though. And it looked like they had no difficulty fitting in." She sighed. "I already felt like I was going crazy when I was in Snow Heaven and needed time to adapt, but I guess monsters are more adaptable than us in that regard."

Salaan scoffed before declaring.

"Most monsters do not care, as long as they have a decent place to live in and perverted males to have sex with."

Kasumi raised her hand as if to counter the master assassin's argument, before casting her gaze downward half ashamed.

"That's… actually true." The elf then perked up a little."Although the merchant from Remina didn't have any difficulties fitting in either."

Salaan nodded.

"True… but then again, she is a human who lived in Remina during the bloodiest hour of Black Alice's reign. You either had to be fearless or lack the most basic common sense to live without going insane. She's used to deal with the perspective of her world ending at any time."

Pilate took his head between his hands.

"Multiple different dimensions, at a time different than ours, populated by beings that may or may not be aware of the situation, and for some have a hand in it, while we deal with the Monster Lord's machinations…"

He started massaging his temples to focus.

"What insane world are we living in?"

Slaan closed her eyes as she responded the distraught soldier.

"One orchestrated by cruel gods, who see worlds as their sandbox and their inhabitants as playthings that can be stolen by their counterpart. One where a life only has value if it blindly follows the grand plan of an egomaniac. One where the weak is oppressed by the strong, and whether it is under the cover of his own safety or not is irrelevant. One where we must fight for everyone because we are the only one who can."

The other people around the table looked at the assassin as she ended her diatribe.

"That was… dark. Even for you."

Salaan sighed.

"Apologies, but I am growing weary of having to deal with the consequences of actions done in the shadow for the sake of pushing this world to its ruin. Although those are easier to deal with than the chaosization process, as a well placed blade can solve those problems quite effectively."

Pilate looked down with his shoulders slumped, which didn't escape the elven kunoichi.

"Are you alright, Pilate? You seems to be depressed."

"I'm just feeling a bit inadequate right now… I mean, we keep facing more and more dangerous enemies, and I used to be a lowly guard in a peaceful village. Even know, I'm just a human who's relying on skills to not get completely outclassed by monsters."

Kasumi got up and bowed.

"Then as a monster I shall spar with you and participate in making your skills grow further, it has been a while since I last had the occasion to train my kunoichi skills against a male opponent, and I would not want them to dull because of a lack of practice."

Pilate got up right afterward, as he regained confidence in front of the challenge.

"I accept your challenge, let us face on the central platform right now!"

As the duo moved toward the platform, Shoki used hand signs to send a silent message to Salaan.

_"Do you think he understand that she was talking about sexual skills?"_

Salaan answered using the same process.

_"He will be reminded soon enough."_

_"Secondary entrance. Bedrooms."_

Salaan silently turned around and noticed a small movement near the hall that led to the cavern under the castle. She didn't see anything moving for several seconds, before she noticed that the shadow was way thicker than it should have been. Concentrating more, she then noticed several flowing movements in the doorway that led to the resting zone. Eventually, she realized that the shadow was Minamo, a kitsune kunoichi recruited by Luka during his raid on Grangold's castle. The fox made a sign to remain silent, and Salaan could tell the monster was fully focused on Pilate.

Salaan turned back to Shoki and resumed their silent conversation.

_"Someone else has sights on him."_

_"And she's excited. I can see her tails swishing from here."_

Salaan grinned under her mask as she sent her last message.

_"This is going to be interesting."_


	12. Story 12: Pilate's path - Under assault

Once again, two warriors faced on the central arena in the barracks. Pilate was covered head to toes in a rainbow plate, wielding a sword and a shield that seemed to change color every second. The plate looked bulky, but the soldier was used to wearing heavy armor, and he had more than once the occasion to confirm the equipment its protect On the other end of the spectrum, Kasumi's outfit could barely qualify as a sexy bustier, and its protective abilities were relying on its wearer's agility. To this end, it was extremely lightweight to not hinder its wearer and showed more than enough flesh to attract any opponent's gaze. Her revealed skin also was covered with several tattoos that seemed to dance and hypnotize anyone who looked at them, further preventing any attacker to focus. She was wielding two jet-black ninja sword. They had little public for their duel, with only two assassins, and unbeknownst to them, Minamo. The kitsune kunoichi was watching from the shadow with a precise plan in mind, ready to pounce into action.

The two warriors turned around each other, gauging their opponents. Without warning, Kasumi jumped high, falling weapons first toward Pilate. The soldier barely had the time to block her with his shield as she followed her attack with an attempt to strike his leg. Pilate blocked her attack with his sword then imbued his weapon with the power of earth to knock her down in one attack. The kunoichi dodged his powerful assault by jumping back.

As she put some distance between him and her, she threw several shurikens at his head, forcing him to raise his shield to protect himself. She then threw a smoke bomb to conceal herself. Pilate imbued his sword with wind and launched a twister to eliminate the smoke. It was too late, however, as the elf was no longer visible. As he looked around, he could notice a few sheets of papers twirling around. Before he could react, he felt a violent electric discharge shocking him. Right afterwards, he found himself tossed around in an elemental storm. Kasumi finally revealed herself when Pilate fell on the floor. He could hardly move after the relentless assault.

"Training in Taoism was worth the effort. You made progress, but you should always be careful about your enemy's skills on the battlefield. You must never get surprised. Now, to finish you off properly…"

Kasumi removed her bustier, fully exposing herself to Pilate. She was still wearing her gloves, her boots, and more surprisingly, her mask to conceal her face.

Surprised, Pilate tried moving back, but his body barely responded. "Wait, wait, this isn't what I had in mind when you said you wanted to spar!"

"As I told you, I also wish to train my kunoichi skills on a man. You can struggle and try to endure if you want, but ultimately it won't change anything."

She pinned him and started removing his armor, which took more time than she expected as Pilate tried to struggle to stop her. Not before long, he only had his undergarments and undershirts on. Kasumi licked her lips behind her mask. A noise on the side suddenly attracted her attention. The moment she turned, a huge red ball hit her in her upper body, pushing her several meters away from the fallen soldier. The ball unfurled itself to reveal the red kitsune who was spying on the fight. Before Pilate could react, she grabbed him with her tails and started running away. Pilate was still shocked by the sudden events.

"What are you…"

"Hush, first let's get you out of here, then I'll answer your questions."

Deciding that his current situation would be better if he did not bother his rescuer, Pilate decided to remain silent. He was comfortable wrapped up and definitively did not want to get back to being a kunoichi's meal.

Eventually, they entered the castle's inner courtyard. However, just as Minamo closed the door back, she was suddenly pushed by a gust of wind. She swore as she dropped Pilate on the ground while trying to pull out her weapon.

"MINE!"

"GET HIM!"

Pilate tried to move off, but found himself swarmed by several harpies while hearing fighting noises intersected by the kitsune swearing loudly. Apparenly his rescuer forgot they were in the middle of the harpies mating season. As he tried crawling away, a harpy slammed herself on his back, blocking him.

"Come here! Don't you want to make babies with me?!"

"HEY! Don't hog him, I want a turn too!"

"BUT I DIDN'T GET STARTED!"

The harpies started shouting at each other in a cacophony of war cries and sing song shouts while they were still trying to get on top of him. He suffered several minor wounds as their talons scratched him each time one harpy was butting head with another one. After what seemed an eternity, a spring of water suddenly blew the group up several meters high. As each monsters fell on the group, several fairies revealed themselves from the top of the castle.

"Pfwahahaha! Wet birds are so funny! Now try flying!"

One of the fairy noticed Pilate, who was still trying to crawl away from the mess.

"Oooh, hey, there's a man…"

"It's the big burly guard without his armor! Let's have fun with him!"

One of the harpies got up and started shouting into the direction of the fairies.

"BACK OFF, YOU THIEF, WE SAW HIM FIRST!"

A bigger fairy attempted to rush Pilate while singing.

"Na-Na, now he's mine!"

A blade of wind pushed the offending sprite who started tumbling uncontrollably. A few seconds afterwards, a battle exploded around Pilate as each monster was trying to get his hands on him for a few moments of intimacy. He was regularly thrown and tossed around with monsters jumping on top of him to get kicked off by another attacker. After a few minutes, he noticed the monsters were more focused on each other than on him. He started moving slowly again toward the entrance, inch by inch, but before he even reached the halfway point, several fairies jumped on him.

"Hey, let's have fun with big guy!"

"I want his white stuff!"

Pilate was still trying to move forward, but the incessant attacks, as weak as they felt, completely blocked him. He suddenly felt a rush of magic coming from his side, and a rain of magic rock shards pushed the fairies away. Several fragments hit him, wounding him further, but at least the fairies were gone and were all disoriented for the moment.

From the corner of his sight he could see Izuna, still wielding a talisman. The fox samurai briefly bowed, and used her tails to scoop him from the ground.

"I apologize for the lack of precision in my attack, but speed is a priority."

Saved by a fox again? At least he did get to enjoy fluffy tails once more. However, he groaned once more, as moving awakened all the bruises and cuts that were now adorning his body. He could see his shirt was shredded and covered in blood stains while Izuna was positioning him on her back.

Carrying the wounded soldier, Izuna ran further into the courtyard, looking for a spot to hide from this mess. The entrances were too far and reaching them without getting seen would be too risky. Waiting hidden under a tree until the group was no longer a threat was apparently the best solution.

"It seems like they are too busy attacking each other to notice us. Let us wait until they are all out."

The kitsune used the shadows near a tree to conceal herself, and started waiting for the situation to die down. Pilate choose to not complain, too glad to remain unmolested for now.


	13. Story 13: Pilate's path - Consequences

Once the mess died down, Izuna moved out of her spot with Pilate still on her back. She could hear pained moans and healers being called as she started silently getting further from the pile. She was glad to have furthered her training in ninjutsu and to have learned how to better conceal herself.

"I better take you to another place, I do not think they calmed down yet."

Izuna turned her head to take a good look at the man. His head was wobbling around, and he was covered in scratches and bruises. His clothes were barely holding together.

"Can you move on your own?"

"No, after what just happened, I can't even stand." Pilate groaned in pain. "I think I'll stay away from the greener areas of the castle for a while."

Izuna took a swift glance at the healers who were mobilizing under Alrauna. She could also see the queen harpy and fairy scolding their subordinates.

"I do understand why."

"Still, thank you for saving me. For a moment, I thought you also joined the hunt to rape me."

Izuna shook her head.

"As much as my kudagitsune wishes for that, I would not be so crass as to exploit this kind of moment for my own satisfaction."

The small spirit flew on the side of Izuna. "Awww, come on, don't deny yourself, don't you want to be filled by his-"

"Please stop." Izuna declared sternly without turning. "This is reserved to those that fall to my blade. And before you ask, I will not challenge him if he is not in a condition to fight properly."

The spirit pouted with its arms crossed.

On her back, Pilate felt a bit concerned: While she wouldn't try anything for now, she sounded serious about wanting to get involved with him, and he wouldn't want to break the commandments of the goddess. He still enjoyed the feeling of her soft tails on his skin. It didn't hurt to appreciate the presence of monsters if it wasn't for anything sexual, right?

As he pondered the question, he noticed the small samurai brought him to the royal quarters. She entered without ceremony before he could protest. The only one present was the mecha-pope from San Ilia. The other ones were training for the competition elsewhere, or preparing the upcoming event. The king's expression changed to one of surprise as the strange duo entered. Before he could ask any question, Izuna laid the wounded soldier on the bed.

"He got wounded by monsters dog piling him."

The king raised his hand before asking.

"As much as I'm willing to help you, why are no other healers already taking care of him?"

"Because they are all busy healing the monsters who rushed in said dogpile."

"So why didn't you leave him with them? They were closer, you wouldn't have had to carry him here..."

"And leave a vulnerable man near monsters on the hunt?"

The pope sighed.

"I see your point, I will take care of him and make sure he doesn't get further attacked."

Izuna put Pilate on the bed and bowed respectfully once free from her burden.

"I thank you for your work and will make sure that nobody comes here to disturb you."

She took a short look at Pilate, and bowed once again. One of her tail wrapped around the kudagitsune to prevent the spirit from telling something either lewd or stupid.

"Please be careful, in the hero's absence, the most unreasonable monsters will go for any man they deem worthy."

Her job done, she left the room while the pope started taking care of the guard.

Once she had the guarantee Pilate was now in sure hands, Izuna released her kudagitsune and started walking back to the barracks. She was joined by a still limping Minamo mid way. The kitsune kunoichi was grinning, but Izuna shook her head negatively.

"You didn't get him?"

"Trying anything would have been too huge a risk, I am certain monsters that were healed are already roaming the castle to get his hands on him."

"Unfortunately you're right. Some are already dueling because they're feeling they got taken for fools. Curiously none are looking for either of us. The only positive side is that Kasumi didn't ask for extras for the trouble."

Izuna sighed.

"This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Thank you for your help, though."

Minamo shrugged.

"I didn't expect that many monsters to step in. I thought almost everybody left the castle to train for the tournament. There was supposed to be only two harpies wandering around, but the only one actually missing was the queen. I also didn't expect them to be that aggressive, even if we're in the middle of their mating season. And then the fairies decided to join in while you were still stuck at the bar…"

The kitsune kunoichi trailed off as she looked down. Izuna shrugged at her turn.

"Victoria wanted to know when we could spar again. I told her that we would likely face at the tournament, but angels can be very stubborn in their idea. Luckily, she was already too tired to join the fray."

She shivered briefly.

"I don't want to think what an angel could have done in this chaos."

"But you still came nearly too late. And I'm sure your target will be more wary next time he leaves his room." Minamo grinned. "If only that valkyrie didn't keep you busy, you'd have been the one doing all the rescue, and you would be in bed with Pilate, drowning him in sweet pleasure by-."

The fox samurai answered instinctively. "If only he was not following Ilias commandments, we would already be together."

Izuna rose a clenched fist as she continued.

"It will take time, but I will get him eventually. Pilate will be my partner AND my lover."

The kudagitsune encouraged Izuna. "That's the spirit!"

Izuna relaxed as she felt she could now move onto a new plan.

"I just hope there won't be as many monsters next time in the castle. I wonder why so many came back in such a short time."

The duo became silent as they started pondering this enigma. After a few minutes, they could see Sylph buzzing through the halls extremely fast several times. The wind spirit eventually stopped near the kitsunes.

"Oh hey, foxy ladies, will you be there for the next Sylph festival?"

Minamo answered in a surprised tone. "I thought San Ilia cancelled the Sylph festival."

Sylph put her hands on her hips proudly.

"I asked the fairy queen how we could still do it! Since San Ilia won't do the Sylph festival because they're afraid of the Monster Lord's attacks, and other villagers are also too afraid, I decided the best place to do it where it couldn't get attacked."

The kudagitsune instinctively asked. "This castle?"

"Correct!"

Izuna's expression couldn't be deciphered as she still concealed her face with one of her tail. But her tails were rising menacingly like angry, furry snakes, while her spirit looked around worrily. Meanwhile Minamo was still smiling, but the wind told Sylph to keep away from her at all costs.

"So it was you…" The samurai fox was searching for talismans in her gi while the kunoichi crouched down.

Sylph started to panic.

"Wait, are you angry? Why are you angry?"

"One dog spirit! Coming up!"

Before she could react, several talismans flew in her face. No longer able to see, she could only feel Minamo jumping high before she struck her down with her tails as she landed. As soon as she reached the ground, Sylph was buried under a growing pile of earth. As the foxes started to move away from the new pile of dirt, a voice could be heard if one stuck his ear near the mound.

"What did I do? Get me out! You're uninvited! Why are earth users so meaaan! Gnomey! Come help me! Okay… you're still invited but please get me out!"

Sylph eventually got freed an hour later by the fairy queen. When the wind spirit told her what happened, the latter did burst into laughter.

Airy eventually told her that organizing the event at the same time with the competition in Grand Noah would be fine. She did not tell that it was the local queen's plan from the beginning, in an attempt to smooth things out between humans and monsters after the war. Neither did she tell that the reason she told the wrong place to Sylph was to get back to her after the "friendly fire" incident with Morrigan.

After laughing heartily, she started discussing with Sylph about their plans for the upcoming events.


	14. Story 14: Preparing the entertainment

-Grand Noah's castle, reception room-

Another reunion was called for the preparation of the tournament for the Sylph festival that would be organized in Grand Noah. The decision to organize them there had been decided a few months ago, not long after Luka came out from the temple located on the Snow Continent.

Everyone present at the time decided it was time for a break after the recent events. Launching an assault on the Monster Lord's castle would be suicidal if everybody whad not recovered from the shock of the latest events. Besides, it was an occasion to improve the declining relations between monsters and humans. As Grand Noah had the best infrastructure when it came to entertainment thanks to its coliseum, they decided it would be the perfect place to organize those events, and regularly met at the castle to organize them.

Around the table were the leaders of the four kingdoms as well as most queen class monsters that were befriended, such as Laura, the mermaid queen, Fatima, the queen of vampires, and Lucretia, the harpy queen. The angels were represented by Victoria. While the valkyrie was not the highest ranking of the remainders of Heaven, she was reliable and had a growing interest in relations with monsters. At the center was the queen of Grand Noah. As the town was under her management, she was in charge of planning and organizing the events, something for which she had acquired a lot of experience. As usual, Mephisto, her yoma advisor, was standing behind her, smirking.

For a short moment, the Noah queen realized how numerous her allies had become. Before, she used to feel mostly alone in her war against Grangold, as even the neighboring kingdoms only made token efforts to support her. However, since she joined Luka and once the war ended, she could see and interact with the other human lords once again, and then the different monster queens that attacked them eventually joined Luka. She suppressed a smile as she looked at the mecha pope, the golem that was the Grangold king, and Sara, the Sabasa queen whom succubus blood got recently awakened. In a way, she was the only "real" human sitting at the table.

She cleared her throat to attract everyone's attention. Once the room fell silent, she started talking.

"Greetings, and thank you for your presence. We are here today to make the final preparations for the upcoming tournament that will be coupled to the Sylph's festival. We will check the different preparations underway for the festival. We will also confirm the rounds prepared for the tournament, validate the closure on the inscriptions, and, as a whole ensure the town will be able to bear with the extra influx of visitors of various races."

She looked around her, confirming that humans and monsters alike were still listening.

"We want to make sure that those events happen in the best conditions, with minimal risks involved. People must see these as an opportunity to relax from the current events with a spectacle they will not forget. Finally, everyone should keep in mind that the first and foremost goal of these events is too bridge the falling relations between monsters and humans, and particularly between fairies and the population of Grand Noah. The goal is to make sure the populace will accept the support of the monsters who will fight on our side against any enemy that should march against us."

As the queen ended her introduction speech, Mephisto announced.

"Both the Wind Spirit and the fairy queen are missing from this current reunion as they have themselves important preparations to make. Their presence was not required in the first place and I will personally give them a report of this reunion."

"If nobody has any question on these matters, I believe we can get started."

The discussions took several hours. Even if most of the organization was done, managing the accommodations to welcome the influx of the foreseen number of visitors still proved a challenge. Whether they were dancers from Grandeur, travelers from Iliasburg, or nobles from lady's village, visitors had to be properly welcomed and accommodated. It was made harder by the fact that the Scylla and Lamia races were still at each other's throat in spite of the recent reveals about their respective queen's condition, requiring additional planning. Furthermore, the presence of several angels was also additional difficulty to manage. While only the most open minded ones were coming, they still had to take into account the possible overreactions from the clergy and the believers living in the city.

Other issues included the possible involvement of the monster lord's forces or of the second generation seraphim. The latter was passive most of the time, but the former could still prove an issue. The Noah queen initially thought that the presence of so many powerful warriors would deter any attacker, but Succubus, the mayor of the same village reminded her that they'd both see the opportunity to exterminate everyone in one strike and the perspective of powerful challenges, as well as a number of potential partners. The Grangold king agreed and decided the best way to limit the risk was to have enough healers to guarantee any warrior who just fought in the tournament would be ready should it come to worst.

Their conversation was interrupted by the door opening slowly. One guard entered to announce a newcomer's arrival.

"Her majesty Freya, the elven queen, from Fairy's Island!"

The blond queen entered with her usual haughty port, before she bowed respectfully in front of her audience.

"I apologize for my lateness, I just had a communication with the fairy queen following an incident in the pocket castle."

Mephisto's expression darkened slightly upon hearing this.

"Did something happen in Luka's absence?"

Freya cringed when she remembered the visions her friends telepathically transmitted her.

"Fortunately, nothing too serious, only a reminder of the reason we are organizing this tournament in a month in the first place." She looked down, as if she didn't want anyone to hear what she would say next. "Because it will be a time out of any race's mating season, which should limit the risk of any fight turning into an orgy if a man happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time."

The Noah queen raised an eyebrow but decided to not push further this point. There were already several other potential issues to deal with and she trusted the elven queen in her judgment.

Freya made her way silently to an empty chair located next to Antline, the queen of ants. The latter was the chosen representative for all insect races, as the hornet queen was still working on developing her nest in the mountains and the spider princess could still not be relied upon when it came to acting like a decent being.

The conversation about the risks surrounding the events resumed itself. Discussions about guaranteeing that the more predatory monsters would behave themselves took most of the afternoon. Between the close watch that would be kept on the festival, the presence of other powerful monsters and the likeliness of volunteers from Pornof to come (several snickers could be heard), the consensus was that they would not be a problem to the population as a whole. Furthermore, Luka was the face of the festival. The council hoped his growing reputation would help keep everybody down.

Afterwards, the royals addressed the question of the randomness of the weather and the possibility of natural disasters, such as the rising number of earthquakes or the black snow that recently fell on Saloon. The stadium was reinforced and had the means to protect everyone against the whimsical weather, and most natural disasters. Eventually, all possible issues were either resolved or were so out of their control that they could only hope for the best.

Lastly, the question of the reward for the winners and the runner ups was brought on the table. Initially, the queen considered giving out a cup, some equipment from the treasury, and a royal favor. However, considering the winner could be a ferocious monster or a bigot with his own agenda, the last one could be a source of trouble. After a long discussion, they decided that a large some of gold instead was way less risky, as the winner could buy anything he or she wanted without directly involving Grand Noah's responsibility. As everybody was at least mostly satisfied with the elements discussed, the queen brought the reunion to a close and thanked everyone once again.

The room slowly emptied, as everybody left in order. Eventually, only Alice, Mephisto and the Noah queen remained in the room. Once everybody got out, the queen asked Alice.

"Was there something else you wanted to talk about?"

"Actually, I wanted to ask Mephisto how her new pupil was doing."

Mephisto sighed, but kept her signature smirking expression. She carefully cast a spell to soundproof the room. While she was sure nobody would be listening, even less caring about the issue at hand, she didn't want to try her luck.

"She isn't so much a tough nut to crack than an explosive one. Her mental defenses and abilities are nothing exceptional, probably because she got weakened quite much by the apoptosis. The biggest issue at hand is her innate mental link that she shares with her sisters. Ill-treating her would likely attract the attention of the other two very fast, and I am not sure we would be able to properly deal with them."

The yoma magician massaged her forehead with her hand. "And I don't consider using it to keep track of them. Even if we somehow manage to use it to locate them at any times, it would be too difficult for us to intercept them. The best we can do currently is asking Morrigan to send messages to her sisters for us should the need come."

Alice sarcastically responded. "Great. And even then, it would be better if we managed to improve our reputation in their eyes. Exploiting their _cute little sister_ for our own end or harming her would end up horribly. And if their mother decides to get involved, they would maybe not even get to end at all."

She shivered.

"I agree, although that link could still show to be a boon if we manage to incept ideas into her mind and use her to communicate with her sisters. We would be able to make sure they don't come to disturb our upcoming games, for example." Mephisto looked down. "Of course, it would still be limited to what doesn't sound too out of character for her, and if they want to listen. Succubi are like children in this manner, in that the best way to get them to do something specific is to tell them to not do it."

Alice closed her eyes as she crossed her arms. "The best way to keep them at bay is making them think it will be boring, which won't work here. We can only hope they will have their hands full with the recent events. In any way, did you learn anything else from her about her world or their plan?"

Mephisto's expression turned serious. She looked briefly at the queen, checked her enchantments again, and even lowered her voice as she got closer to Alice.

"You won't like what you're going to hear."


	15. Story 15: Heinrich's tale - Constants

-Gold region, Wastelands-

Heinrich carefully walked around, scanning his environment for any monsters. Since he heard about the competition organized in Grand Noah, he decided to get back on this world's road to see for himself the monsters that were roaming around. It was as much an occasion to train as it was to explore his new "home", and to see if his skills were still useful.

Going by the rumors and hearsays at the Pocket Castle, the strongest monsters to train against could be found in a region called the Devastated Plains, in the western part of the Gold Region. The monsters he did find there were horrible. They looked like nothing he ever saw, strange amalgamates of various creatures, and sometimes included even angel parts. They initially made for tough opponents, but aster training so much, they were only slightly threatening. Besides, he had difficulties finding some enemies to face. Their density seemed to have decreased by a great deal since the last time he came here to train.

He could hear steel clashing and spells being cast behind a wall. As he cautiously approached, it was clear someone else did choose to come in this area to train against the local monsters. When he reached the corner, he could see San, a strong looking elven amazoness recruited by Luka. She was wielding a spear against two monsters, relentlessly chaining her attacks on one, then on the others without break. It was clear she did not need any help against those enemies for the moment. The hero from ancient times decided he could as well leave her alone for now. When he turned back, however, he noticed several more chimeras were approaching the elf extremely fast. One of them propelled itself using its tentacles and tried to grab the elf on its way. The amazoness only narrowly managed to avoid the attack, and was now in difficulty as the other monsters didn't lose a second before exploiting the occasion.

Heinrich decided to step in to support the elf. He charged the monster that tried jumping on the elf and slashed with a fire imbued blade at its tentacles. Right afterwards, he slashed at one that was covered with bandages, knocking her out instantly. As soon as he joined the elf, it was clear that, despite their large numerical superiority, their opponents didn't stand a chance. The amazoness fully focused on her initial opponents and knocked both down with a single spear thrust. Heinrich's blade spun as he sent several fire waves at his opponents. Most of them fell right after his assault, and the remainder fled soon thereafter.

As soon as the monsters disappeared from his line of sight, he heard a surprised cry and the sound of a spell being cast. A chimera was blown across Heinrich's right away, and another one could be heard screaming in agony as a rainbow light was visible. Heinrich could hear feminine chatter about who could claim which kill. When they came around the corner, he could identify them as Magical Mari-Chan and Witch, the succubus sorceress. It took him a second to realize that the one who was wearing less revealing clothing was the succubus. The latter took a good look at him for a second, blinked, and then finally asked him.

"Oh it's you Heinrich, did you came here to train as well?"

The hero smiled. "I heard that the monsters here were the strongest. Although I've never seen anything quite like that back home..." He took a look at the now dead chimeras.

Witch shuddered. "They're artificial monsters. Not even good ones at that." She smiled back at Heinrich. "Anyway, we thought you needed help when we ran into them."

Heinrich laughed heartily. "Oh, they weren't much, but still, what you did was spectacular!"

Magical Mari-Chan stepped forward. "We want to give everyone in the coliseum one show they won't forget!" The magical girl was as hyper energetic as usual. She proceeded to take several poses as if someone was taking pictures.

The succubus witch shrugged in front of her friend's shenanigans. "We'll be leaving and taking a break to see a few spectacles at Grandeur anyway. Searching for those chimeras take too much time, and fighting them feel now as challenging as taking on those guards from Ilias Village. See you later!"

The witch proceeded to take a harpy feather from her pouch and disappeared, bringing the magical girl with her. Heinrich then turned toward San who had remained silent during the whole exchange. The amazoness bowed in front of the hero.

"Thank you for your help. I was careless, and it is only thanks to you that I escaped unscathed."

Heinrich smiled. "You're welcome."

"As the law dictates, I owe you my life and my body, you can violate me to give me your children."

The hero's eyes widened for a second. "WHAT? WHY WOULD I DO THAT?"

San raised an eyebrow. "Because you saved me. Do you not wish to have a strong partner to carry your progeny?"

Heinrich's face reddened. "No! I am a hero! I saved you because that's w-what heroes do!" He shook his head to clear his mind. "Besides, I am not interested in romance and even less in s… in that. I already have a world to save!"

The amazoness took a moment to ponder what the hero just said as if they were words of wisdom.

"I see." She bowed again. "Then I shall become stronger to be able to claim you for myself at the tournament. Until we meet again, hero!"

She took a harpy feather from a pouch and proceeded to disappear. Heinrich slowly exhaled. Even if he was in another word, some things remained constant through the different universes…

He leaned against the wall for a moment. The conversation with San was more exhausting than the last three hours of monster killing. Still, he started to think about his own desires. With his attention being fully turned on slaying the Monster Lord and on saving the world, he didn't have the time to think about what happened back home. He spared a thought for Edina, the princess of Remina. She seemed interested in him. Or maybe he could try his luck with a monster at the Pocket Castle…

Heinrich shook his head. He was a devout to his ideals, and giving in to a monster's temptation was out of the question. Maybe he should ask Luka on the matter. The young hero was looking up to him for a reason, and even if he surrounded himself with monsters, he was still a follower of Ilias, and certainly would have found a way around his companion's ravenous needs without compromising himself, right?

He was pulled from his thoughts by a commotion coming from further down the main road. He took a glance from the corner of the wall, and noticed the Queen Vampire and her clique annihilating the few chimeras that were too slow or too dumb to get close to them. As he considered that he could no longer train in the area, he took a harpy feather from his bag and got back to the Pocket Castle.


	16. Story 16: Heinrich's tale - Variables

Heinrich opened the Pocket Castle's main doors as he made his way in. There was a little more activity than when he left to train. Apparently several monsters got taken up in a fight and were under supervision while they were in the process of recovering. As he took a look around, Alice, the small lamia, came toward him. She was about to ask a question when she stopped herself midway and sighed.

"Sorry Heinrich, from afar I thought you were Luka." She opened her eyes and crossed her arms. "You haven't seen him by any chance? He disappeared after we came back from our expedition."

"No, I also wanted to ask him a few questions."

"And I can't find that flying obscenity either…" Alice sighed once more as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "What kind of question did you want to ask him?"

Heinrich looked at Alice's bottom half. "No offense, but it is kind of awkward asking this to a monster."

"I don't think that can be more offensive than what that idiot did."

Heinrich raised an eyebrow. Alice shook her head while mouthing silently _You don't want to know._ The hero eventually gave in.

"I was wondering how Luka endures living with monsters without giving in to temptation."

Alice scoffed. "He doesn't."

"What? I mean as a devotee of Ilias…"

Alice interrupted him. "Heinrich. It's something you must understand since you joined. The catastrophe that happened 30 years ago brought humans and monsters close, when everybody realized they both suffered equally and worked together to get through." She looked up as she continued, annoyed. "And close enough for all perverts around the world to enjoy the pleasure they would gladly give. Luka remains a young man with his own impulses, and monsters are quick to fulfill any request of this kind. He probably slept around with half the castle." She sighed once more. "I think it's a miracle that all the men on the team don't jump on any monster that attacks us on the road. Their goddess is dead in their eyes, and so are her teachings. The only reason everyone don't run into a monster's arms, tentacles, or whatever is the fear of what said monster would do with them once the deed's done."

Heinrich remained dumbfounded for a moment. He never considered this world that different from the one he left behind. He thought there would be a few cultural differences, but didn't think the world would have mostly forgotten the goddess of light.

Noticing how shocked Heinrich was, Alice muttered. "Sorry, I didn't think how hard it would be to hear that everyone gave up on the goddess they once followed."

"I-it's okay."

The hero laughed nervously. Alice decided it was time to change the subject.

"How is Alicetromeria doing?"

Heinrich perked up.

"Oh she's doing fine! I think she's enjoying having that many monsters around to keep her company! You know, I always found it curious how she almost always felt at ease even when surrounded by monsters."

Alice cringed internally. It was Luka's ancestor without a doubt.

"Have you ever seen Black Alice once?"

"No, but I know she's a cruel, psychopath that decided to wage war against everyone, and that even monsters fear her because of her power. Why?"

The small Monster Lord assessed the situation. She decided that Heinrich didn't need another possible bombshell dropped on him.

Alice smiled as sincerely as she could to reassure Heinrich of his future. "I forgot what I wanted to say, sorry. Don't worry about it though, you will beat her and be remembered as a legendary hero through history." She tried to avoid sounding disgusted. "Besides, I am sure Ilias and the grateful population will reward you properly for your victory."

Heinrich smiled, feeling confident once more. "Thank you Alice, I will make sure to live up my reputation in the upcoming tournament."

Heinrich started walking away with a confident step. Alice suddenly saw a few feathers move behind a pillar. She closed in and saw Victoria. The valkyrie was looking down, hunched against a pillar, her wings lifeless. The lamia tried getting her attention.

"Do you need something?"

The valkyrie looked sideway, apparently ashamed.

"Nothing…"

She eventually turned her back and started walking away slowly.

Alice remained dumbfounded in front of Victoria's behavior. Was it about Heinrich? She eventually got back to her own search.

* * *

Heinrich confidently started to make his way to the royal chambers to see his companion Alicetromeria, but after a few minutes, doubt crept back in his mind about the situation at hand. He was in a world that wasn't his but where he existed 500 years earlier as a great hero. And most people were fine mingling with monsters and breaking Ilias's commandments? Was it his victory's legacy? Was his divine mission of slaying Black Alice even relevant now? Or maybe it was this action that led to this world…

Heinrich eventually entered the royal looking down. The only ones present at the time were the disguised 8th monster lord and her plush Beary. They turned toward the newcomer.

"You are looking troubled, Heinrich, did something bad happen?"

"I am feeling lost. I should be training to save the world or face Black Alice. Instead I am training for a friendly tournament against monsters with whom I already worked. This world is so different than the one we left behind…"

"Oh my, is it being friendly with monsters that surprise you? Or maybe you are troubled by the advances they make on you…"

Heinrich's face reddened slightly.

"Each time I come at the Pocket Castle, I'm requested to act as a bed warmer, and it only is when they don't explicitly say they want my children. But I am faithful to my hero's duties and to Ilias's commandment!"

Alicetromeria got up and started moving toward Heinrich, her hips swaying seductively.

"Besides, that would be a shame with me around, wouldn't it?"

Heinrich looked lost in thoughts, blind to his partner's attempt to entice him once more.

"You're right, I wouldn't want our relation to sour because I could not control myself. I must remain strong and not lose to temptation. But I currently even have the opportunity to train, with monsters preparing everywhere for the tournament."

Alicetromeria recovered from her failed seduction attempt and started looking for ideas to entertain his companion.

"Then maybe we should visit this world more together? We barely had the occasion to walk it, even less only with each other's company… How about visiting Grandeur? They have a theater where they regularly hold shows. Oh! I know! We could also travel to the Midas Village on Ilias Continent. They have great meat there! Or we could go to Yamatai and enjoy eating there like we did before…"

Heinrich shrugged. "Variety is the spice of life, let's go to Grandeur."

The pseudo mage looked disappointed for a second before Heinrich started smiling.

"Besides, Luka told me they have a restaurant in the theater."

She proceeded to jump up and down several times like a child under a sugar rush.

* * *

-Grandeur theater -

The duo exited the theater with several other customers in the middle of the night, clearly enjoying themselves. Heinrich managed to finally say between two bouts of laughter.

"I never thought I'd enjoy a show about a succubus dancing with zombies."

"They had some rhythm in their move, too much for the zombie's bodies."

"Are you talking about the moment where an arm flew off? I think that lady was quite surprised when it fell on her."

"Not as much as when the end started moving on its own to get back to its owner."

They exploded into laughter once more as they continued walking down on the road. Eventually, they took a break near the center of the pond. Even so late in the night, the city was still bustling with activity. Heinrich started to look at the sky while Alicetromeria was looking at him.

"You know… in this instant, I realize it's those kind of small moments that make me enjoy this world…"

"Then how about we enjoy it more together? Ufufu…"

"You're right." Heinrich clenched his fist as he posed in front of the star-filled sky. "This is why I must fight for it. I will do everything in my power to defend it! I will train more!"

"Wait…"

Heinrich started walking away with a newfound confidence, leaving a stunned Alictromeria behind. The 8th monster lord remained immobile, petrified by Heinrich's decision, her expression frozen into an uncanny smile. She slowly turned toward her plush Beary.

"Is this what humans mean by being blue balled?"

The stuffed bear nodded.

"That's no fun…"

She remained there, dumbfounded for a few minutes, until a regular eventually noticed her from afar.

"Do you need anything, young lady?"

Alicetromeria turned around and took a look at her interlocutor. He was wearing a heavy armor, but her senses picked on his toned body concealed by the plate. The gun at his belt indicated he was likely affiliated with the local mafia. He was also carrying an attractive scent…

"Yes, you will do nicely. Let's have fun together!"

Nobody ever hear from him again.


	17. Story 17: Grim perspective

The Grand Noah queen was examining the preparations happening for the upcoming festivals from the window of Grand Noah's castle. Several workers, humans and monsters, were working in the street to set up the banners for the upcoming tournament and a scene at the center of the town for Sylph's festival. The queen herself had a long discussion with the Wind Spirit (thankfully, with the more serious-minded Fairy queen also present to keep the discussion on its track) to organize the festivals. They made sure the artists who used to organize the festival in San Ilia were involved to keep the original spirit of the party even if it was organized in a different place.

The street themselves were starting to get crowded with people who arrived early for the events. Several humans and monsters were discussing and already taking bets on who would win the tournament. The queen noted that there was curiously very little tension between humans and monsters, as if the war that happened barely a few months ago was just an old memory. She also suspected that the improvements in the relationships were related to the more perverted fringe of the population, but she was glad it was turning out that way for now. She just hoped that the inhabitants of Succubus Village and the travelers from Pornof would keep their perversions private.

In reality, the population at large showed itself more accepting once they learned Luka was the one who wanted to mend the relationships between humans and monsters. Furthermore, every competitor ended up coming from Luka's Pocket Army, which could prove a boon if their skills in the arena impressed the spectators enough. That would show everyone that those warriors who wanted to defend the world had the strength to hold up against any threat. The queen smirked. The hero's name was now carrying more power than those of the leaders of this world. She was glad to be on his good side, even if he had sometimes shown questionable lapses in his judgement. He was strong, and had the well being of everybody in mind. He also was quite skilled with words, as he had managed to bring a lot of monsters to his side. Lastly, she appreciated that he helped her a lot by bringing in an impressive amount of small medals. She suddenly felt Mephisto teleporting a few meters behind her.

"What are the news?"

"We finally found Luka, apparently he was training away against Black Alice in the alternate dimension we explored on our adventure. He will be there soon."

The queen concealed her surprise with an ease acquired from a long time of reigning over a kingdom. Mephisto continued uninterrupted.

"It seems he did actually beat her. Alone."

"His name is already getting more known than Heinrich's. I wonder if he's stronger than him at that point."

Mephisto smirked. "Do you want me to organize the tournament's rounds to guarantee they will face each other? This would be trivial compared to organizing this festival."

"There is no need for that."

A few seconds later, they were joined by Alice. The small monster lord was looking tired as she didn't have enough sleep for the past few days. She had grown restless since Mephisto told her about the Monster's World. And to think her mother supported them… And now she was dead, killed by Luka's father, without a clear reason or even a world. Maybe he did know about what was in stock for them should her plans come to fruition…

"How are the preparations doing?"

The queen answered as she was still looking through the window.

"More smoothly than we initially expected, there is neither contestation nor resistance from the population for now. We can only pray that it last."

Alice looked around for a moment. "Where are the other leaders? I thought they would be there to help the preparations.

"They are back to their own kingdoms, they have their own issues with the recent events. She then turned toward Alice. Besides, I would prefer if we did not involve too many people in this little secret." She shivered. "Some of them may react more strongly and further worsen the relations between humans and monsters."

The door opened, revealing Luka. Alice took a good look at the hero as he arrived. While his step was assured, his gaze was lost in the horizon, as if he had something repressed in his mind. He silently made his way to the window and started leaning on the edge.

"Greetings Luka, are you alright?"

Luka nodded absent mindedly, smiling. "Yes, that training just was exhausting."

The other persons in the room looked at each other, concerned about the hero's wellbeing. Deciding

"Luka, there's something I must talk to you about…"

Luka didn't turn. "What is it Alice?"

"Did you ask Morrigan about where she came from?"

"Hellgondo? No."

Alice sighed. "I am talking about the Monster World. And San Ilia in particular."

Luka shrugged. "What about it?"

Alice decided to stop beating around the bush and closed her eyes as she recalled Mephisto's tales. "It's a hell hole for humans. It's the rule of the strong monsters over the weaker ones. They don't care if they're dealing with their own kind or with humans, it's a food pyrami with the ancestors at the top, and those keep feeding their unending hunger by eating at every level of the ladder."

Alice shivered. "I already feared the worst when I saw how the other world Tamamo was, but damn… thinking my teacher used to be like that… And then Morrigan confirmed it. It's a world of freedom, where the ones who are second to none are free to destroy those below them… And they revel in it."

Luka's gaze was still empty. He nodded lost in thoughts. "You talked about San Ilia."

Alice made a disgusted expression. Mephisto had shared way too many information on the city. "It's governed by Morrigan's progenitor, Minagi, the ancestor of all succubi. You remember Succubus Village?"

Luka shrugged. "It was a pretty good place to live in."

Alice's tone became more severe. "Well, multiply its size by a hundred. Also succubi there don't actually care if their partners survive. And their leader pushes them to further indulge themselves even more rather than trying to rein them in. So it's nothing like Succubus Village, it's a whore who takes pride in her actions enjoying her ideal universe. One of nothing but pleasure and death."

Luka nodded silently, still lost in thoughts.

"And… are you even listening?" Alice got closer and started poking the hero in his face repeatedly. Luka only reacted after several times. "What did you actually do?"

Luka sighed and turned toward Alice. He was actually looking slightly desperate. "I had a few discussions. One was with our Black Alice. Alicetromeria in the past. After we saw… what happened in Remina and the cause of the Great Disaster, I asked her what she thought her alternate self plan was."

Alice was surprised for a moment and quickly recomposed herself. She castigated herself as she didn't consider doing that despite having the opportunity at hand. "What did she tell you?"

"Destroy the world. Because it's fun. Then every other world. Because it's fun."

Aliced looked down. "Nothing useful then…"

Luka looked up at Alice. "She also told me how we could eliminate the Chaos Goddess without destroying this world."

Alice's mouth was agape, while Mephisto and the Noah queen repositioned themselves to get sure they wouldn't miss a word.

"Wha-, wai-." She blinked several times before managing to form a coherent sentence. "How does she even know? She wasn't with us at the time!"

"She apparently knows way more than she let on. I wonder how much she's toying with us. Anyway, since the Chaos Goddess is made from primordial energy, the best way would be to have access to an equal amount of holy and dark energy under their most primal form and to fuse them.

Alice closed her eyes as she reached the conclusion by her own. "The Founder and Ilias."

Mephisto stepped forward. "But one is sealed in this world and the other one is dead. And the only way the first Monster Lord could be awakened is if an impressively large quantity of dark energy was released… and I am not even sure this would work after the great catastrophe."

Alice opened her eyes. "They probably already have a plan, Tamamo might have guessed it, but she's on the run, so finding her will be next to impossible. Unless she decides she needs our help, which won't be good news whatever the reason is."

She started moving around. "And besides, who could possibly control that much chaotic ener-, oh right, Nuruko. The spirit of chaos."

Mephisto took the idea in, as she remembered what happened. "While she's somehow devoted to Luka, there's no guarantee she can do that at the right moment. But if I understand correctly, the only alternative would be to destroy this world, and join Morrigan back into Demon World."

Alice's eyes widened. "And live there? Until the ancestors decide to turn us into their next meal?"

Luka looked down. "I don't want to join force with those that are trying to destroy this world either…"

The yoma advisor shrugged nonchalantly, but she was as much disturbed as anyone else. "They'll be indebted to us if we bring back the Lilith Sisters and several other monsters alive. I think they will let us be, at least by respect for Luka's strength and for his help."

"Until they decide that we're no longer of use to them. And no, getting sucked dry by one of them is not a fate I want to meet."

"Good grief, we're stuck in an impass then."

Alice looked around her. Mephisto was fiddling nervously with her wand. The Grand Noah queen put herself way back, making it clear that she couldn't bring help in this kind of situation. Luka was still looking down. "Do we have any other choice?"

Luka looked up, an idea crossing his mind. "Maybe."

* * *

-Hades-

The Reaper was looking at the conversation that just happened through her orb. While her expression remained indifferent, she definitely felt a twinge of concern growing for the situation. The hero was probably going to ask her to restart his adventure again. She shook her head. What was the point? They wouldn't remember a thing anyway.

"Hey."

She didn't turn toward the newcomer. The White Rabbit's perkiness was grating enough as it was, she wouldn't let her furthermore enjoy teasing her.

"What do you want?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing into your little sanctuary. You saw the discussion? It looks like the hero is going on the Ilias route once more soon!"

"Yes, I do not know what he does expect to find by running through this adventure again."

The White Rabbit's shoulder slumped excessively. "I don't know either, but it's going to end up getting boooring! Why doesn't he wait at least for when it will actually matter. And why do you even reset the world for him?"

The personification of Death frowned. "You're the one who brought the hero here. I'm just doing my job, contrary to you."

The White Rabbit looked further wounded. "Awww, don't say it like that, I'm also just doing my job!"

"Doesn't your mission also include taking care of cross world contact that could impact the history?"

The White Rabbit assumed a coy pose. "Well, they're getting a little too numerous for me. Also the hero's dad keeps beheading me again and again. This is getting annoying. Besides, Luka needs to meet them to make his choice and become stronger. And if he dies, you just bring him back! So there's no problem!"

The Reaper scowled in front of the White Rabbit's ravings. She had to recognize however that she had a point. The situation was out of their control, and they could only give Luka the support he needed in his adventure.

The White Rabbit was now sitting on an invisible chair, a few meters up in front of the Reaper. "Wanna bet about when the hero will ask for a reboot?"

"I do not have time for those futile games."

"The winner gets him for a night."

The Reaper tapped on her chin with her free hand. "Right after his victory speech at the tournament."

"Before that, when Heinrich says he's disappointed in him."

"Deal."


	18. Story 18: Anticipating the entertainment

After several months of preparation, the Grand Noah festival finally started. It was an occasion for everyone involved to enjoy themselves in a time of uncertainty, a time to show everyone that, even in those dire circumstances, it was possible for people to live carefree at least for a week. Most of all, it was a tool to mend relations between humans and monsters, to affirm the will to work together and face adversity side-by side in this era of chaos and fear. After all, there was no point in staying cold against those that did wrong by the past when they were the best hope for the world's future.

The festival would conclude on a huge tournament organized at the coliseum. Initially, everybody was invited, but every slot was filled by a resident of the Pocket Castle, or, as the population started to name them, "The Hero Luka's Army". Everybody was expecting to see a lot from the ones who broke down the Monster Lord's assault and managed to explore the mysterious Snow Continent without suffering losses. They even recruited angels, some of whom were to come to show off their martial prowess in the upcoming tournament.

The ambiance in the city street was joyous, as if people already forgot the past grudges and were just looking for an occasion to simply take their mind of the fact that the world was apparently ending. Almost everybody was enjoying themselves as much as they could, save for the more paranoid fringes of the population, who saw the merriment as a plot from the late Monster Lord to further weaken them, and suspected that the reason everyone was so accepting was because of a monster's magic. The Ilias clergy was inviting everyone to be wary of the monster's presence in the streets, but between the fact that most of said monsters were aligned with the legendary hero Luka (and, if rumors were true, possibly Heinrich himself) and that several angels were present to appreciate what the festival had to offer, they were forced to remain silent lest everyone turn against them.

Every street was filled with onlookers coming from the four corners of the world wanting to see the wondrous sights that were offered, as fairies and mages were using their skills to entertain anyone looking with fireworks. Cooks and gourmets from around the world came to respectively offer delicious food and sample it. Colorful banners were flying high around a scene placed at the center of the town square, surrounded by incredibly beautiful flowers. There, humans and monsters alike were dancing on a rapid rhythm, almost supernaturally guided by Saki, the succubus idol. Children were playing innocently with the fairies, to the great displeasure of those that fell to their prank.

One could hear moans coming from the darker streets, as they were filled with humans and monsters getting intimate. From people looking to relax to those searching for new experiences or even "just travelling professionals, helping those looking for a quick, blissful release", every inn's private room was filled with being enjoying the pleasure of being alive. By the end of the day, humans and monsters alike would have gotten a lot more than what they asked for, and would go to sleep exhausted, a head willed with happy memories, and possibly in a partner's sensual or caring embrace. Of course, small "accidents" were frequent, but thanks to the omnipresence of healers and reasonable powerful monsters, those were quickly dealt with.

Along the event, several speeches were given. Whether they were from the Grand Noah's queen or the monsters that attacked the different cities under the Monster Lord's order, all were centered around the will they shared to work together to face the future. After Freya, the elf queen, was done giving such a speech, she left for the palace as she needed to have a discussion with her colleagues. Upon arriving, she noticed most of them were tired, but also happy. Her keen senses also picked also picked a post coital musc coming from her fellows. She refrained from wrinkling her nose and from commenting, as she didn't want to be known as a joy killer amongst her peers.

"We just finalized the elimination pools for the tournament." The Grand Noah Queen was flipping sheets as she was talking. "Balancing them was harder than expected. Thankfully the Pocket Castle somehow manage to keep track of its resident's strength, otherwise we wouldn't even be done yet. There are two hundred and fifty six participants." She looked up from her papers, and took a rapid glance across the room, before flashing a grin. "Every single one of us is registered in the competition." She reassumed a business like expression. "The coliseum will be full for every fight, with several thousand spectators watching each time."

She took a look at the San Ilia pope who took the cue and continued. "We managed to put into place a makina network that will be able to show the match in different location through the world. We are currently testing the technology, but our latest studies showed it could be very popular."

As soon as the king had ended his part, the Noah queen resumed her speech. "We only suffered minor incidents since the beginning of the festival, and fortunately there were no sightings of the late Monster Lord's goons so far."

The discussion kept going on, as even if it was a time of happiness for the population at large, the ones responsible for the event still had to work to keep it running fine. After going on for a small hour, the reunion finally closed.

"I wish you all luck in your upcoming fights, and may your strength bring you far."

Everybody left the reunion room in good order once more. On her way out, Freya sighed as she looked down. This attracted the undesirable attention of Alma Elma.

"Ara? Is someone troubled?"

The elven queen eyed cautiously the succubus. "I just wish we were able to recreate the bond between humans and monsters without giving rape shows in the coliseum."

"Aww, but I thought elves were lewd? And weren't you part of the group that impulse the idea to organize a tournament at the coliseum? Everybody knows you're a huge fan."

Freya nearly screamed as a string of indignant sounds made its way through her throat. After nearly spitting a stream of profanities at the succubus queen, she managed to recover enough of her composure to articulate an answer.

"What even are those baseless rumors? Elves are nothing like your kin who takes pride in having sex with everything that moves! And I am merely interested in what happens in the coliseum to find out how barbaric humans can get! Nothing more!"

Alma Elma laughed good heartedly.

"Come on, be honest with yourself! You wouldn't have mastered so many sexual skills if you didn't want men to come to you to taste them! And you're the only person I know who can tell that the winner of the tournament in 1246 was a yoma warrior named Sadia!"

"No, her name was Asdia, and she was a martial artist! And it's easy to remember because she won on an irregularity as her opponent…"

The succubus was smirking as the elve's word betrayed her once more. The latter's expression decomposed once again as she caught herself geeking out once more about the coliseum. She left into a huff, and could even be heard from afar raving about the purity of elves.

Mephisto arrived from behind, smirking at the succubus queen.

"Did you rile her up on purpose?"

Alma Elma asked innocently. "Why would I have done that?"

Mephisto started to fiddle with her wand. "Because her first fight is going to be against the Harem. And if she loses her cool against the four succubi, those ones will likely have their way with her in front of everyone afterward."

The ex heavenly knight shrugged. "No, I didn't talk to them. They didn't tell me they intended to use the ancestor's fluid to make her come in front of everyone again and again. They didn't say anything about wanting to show the world that elves are as nymphomaniac as succubi."

Mephisto laughed in a sinister way. "Good grief, you're really a handful, aren't you? It's a shame you didn't put those skills at the Monster Lord's service at the time." Her expression soured. "Although considering how things turned out afterwards, that might have been for the best."

Alma Elma smirked. "My body, my skills, my choices. "

* * *

Heinrich was checking his equipment for the umpteenth time as he was waiting to be called for his match. A part of him was nervous, as he heard the rumors about the involvement of a legendary hero from the past. He didn't want to disappoint everyone who came to see him in the flesh.

He also already saw enough matches at the coliseum to know what would happen if he lost against a monster. Losing early in the tournament would be one thing. Getting humiliated in front of everyone would be another one altogether he wished he would not have to deal with. Of course, his heroic skills would guarantee a victory against weaker opponents, but after having seen how strong the other residents of the Pocket Castle had grown, he was less confident in his victory than when he initially signed up.

An idea started to worm his way up his mind: How many spectators came to see him getting dominated by a powerful monster in the arena? Did they want to see the hero in action, or were they just perverts waiting for a good show? He shook his head as he wanted to clear his mind from these thoughts: overthinking would only lead him to lose focus in a critical moment and end up making him lose.

Eventually one of the coliseum's managers entered the room he was waiting in and bowed respectfully.

"You are awaited in the arena."

Heinrich thanked her and started making his way toward the center of the arena. A booming, magically projected voice could be heard just as he stepped outside.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you heard about him, the legendary hero of the past, the one who beat Black Alice ! The one and only legendary hero Heinrich!"

During this moment, he realized how popular his legend was as he was almost deafened by the cheers coming from all around the coliseum. He waved back to the crowd, smiling. The sun was high as the afternoon barely started. The door located at the other end of the arena opened, as the voice boomed once again.

"Against him, coming from the deepest forests of Fairy's Island, the sign that elves and strength can go and in hand! San, the elven amazoness!"

Heinrich's smile disappear as he recognized the elf he met a few weeks ago. The amazoness was grinning evilly. Her intentions had not changed from their last encounter. Heinrich unsheated his sword and assumed a fighting stance while his opponent was twirling an impressively large rainbow club with a startling ease.

This was not going to be a good day.


	19. Story 19: Heinrich's tale - Coliseum

Heinrich steadied himself against his opponent. Why, from all the residents of the Pocket Castle, he had to face one of the few that wanted to violate him on his first fight. He held his guard high as San was walking around him like a cat toying with its prey. She was still grinning evilly and licking her lips from time to time.

Several thoughts crossed Heinrich's mind as he kept his eyes on the amazoness. Was this encounter the result of bad luck? Did she ask to face him? Was it the result of someone's manipulation?

Noticing that her opponent was losing his concentration, San attacked with a high sweep from her war staff. Heinrich barely had the time to react and to counter the attack. Had it connected, he would have been knocked out instantly with minimal hope of recovering. She directly chained her assault with a low sweep, which Heinrich narrowly dodged by jumping. She then proceeded to throw herself at him, with the clear intent to pin him. As he saw the attack coming, the hero stepped backward and used the elf's momentum to throw her further away. The amazoness rolled and got up in one smooth motion, ready to attack once more. Eventually Heinrich jumped high to slice his opponent. San prepared an attack to take him on as he was falling, but he suddenly summoned the earth mid way to strengthen his impact. The amazoness refrained from attacking and nearly lost her footing because of the shockwave Heinrich made as he landed.

Heinrich exploited this opportunity to imbue his sword with fire and launched several attack in hope of taking down the amazoness before she fully recovered. However, she managed to parry or dodge all of his attacks and tried to put some distance between her and Heinrich to exploit her longer reach. As soon as she managed to break away from him, she forced the hero to get back on the defensive. After a few more blows exchanged. Heinrich stepped back. His opponent taunted him.

"Giving up already?"

"No."

Heinrich thrust with his sword at a lightning speed, getting behind the surprised amazoness guard and slashing at her arms. She screamed in pain and dropped herself on top of him once again. As they fell down, Heinrich hit her in the stomach with the hilt of his sword, cutting her breath for a few seconds. He finally brought his hid on her head once more, knocking her out cold.

As Heinrich was catching his breath, the announcer's voice boomed through the arena.

"And the winner is Heinrich! What a magnificent opening fight! Stay here for more, the next one will start in 15 minutes!"

The ancient hero made his way back to where he came from as healers were already starting their work on the elf.

A few hours later, Heinrich was drinking with several of his fans. Even if it was only his first fight, a lot of people were celebrating with the hero. He was surprised to see how many monsters there were amongst his fans. He found himself disenchanted fast when he realized most had the intention to seduce him with the support of an alarming amount of liquid courage. He still accepted any drink that was offered to him, but not before having slipped a poison guard around his neck, just in case.

As he looked around, he could not see Alicetromeria. A part of him wondered where she was. Maybe she went back to their original world to check on it...

He suddenly felt lost and alone. He realized how much he was actually missing her. His head started to wander, as he was thinking about the world he left behind. Was it alright for him to have fun at this moment? To abandon his world to Black Alice's cruelty?

After several hours, he finally excused himself and left his fans. Most were now too taken up in their own drinking games or busy enjoying the attention of monsters anyway to notice.

The night had already fallen as he stepped out in the city. Even then, the streets were still far from empty, as some people were still partying. He started to wander, lost in thoughts, while avoiding the most crowded places. After an undetermined amount of time, he found himself in a street that was almost empty, save for a few passed out drunkards.

As he was midway, he heard a voice coming from behind.

"Heinrich."

He turned around and saw Salamander. The fire spirit had her arms crossed and had quite a grave look.

"Greetings Salamander, how did your match go?"

"I've beaten up Eva without a sweat. Do you have a minute for me?"

Heinrich smiled, tired. "Sure, as long as it is not about having sex with a monster. That's becoming annoying."

Salamander looked at Heinrich surprised, and carefully started thinking her next words. She tried to remember how the hero was before he beat down Black Alice and turned on Ilias. She also did not want to let anything slip about his future.

"We're just getting worried about you. How do you feel in this world?"

The hero looked down.

"To be honest, I miss the more chaotic times. Every moment I don't have to fight for my life, I start thinking about what's happening back there, about what led to the world turning out like that."

Salamander smiled, trying to reassure him. "It's normal. You're a hero. You can't feel at ease when you know some people may be suffering, you're just like Luka in that case. Besides, you've always been on the road, training to fight against the Monster Lord." She shook her head. "You really have to learn how to enjoy the small moments of tranquility as they come. They will make for most of your life once you have beaten the Monster Lord. And if you can't enjoy what's coming afterward, what's the point of beating her?"

"Because it is the will of Ilias, but…"

The spirit looked at him expectantly. "But?"

Heinrich looked straight into Salamander's eyes. "I've read the books in San Ilia's library. I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it. I wanted to know how my legend ended. I did beat Black Alice and was elevated to Heaven by Ilias herself. But… I can't say why… something feels just plain _wrong_ about it."

Salamander suddenly was at loss for words. Telling that Heinrich went berserk and started a genocide against heaven was out of the question for now. She eventually found an exit.

"Because you're the only hero that was recorded as being elevated maybe? I mean, nobody does remember what happened during the Great War, and since then, your situation was the most exceptional."

"Except I have dealt enough with Ilias to know there would be something else." Heinrich smiled sadly. "She's good guidance as a whole, but she has a tendency to get very… personnal."

Salamander nodded. It was the most polite way to say she was a petty bitch.

"And… if Black Alice did actually hurt her, we would have known."

Salamander felt tense as she tried to reassure Heinrich. She felt bad about lying so hard to him, but in this situation, she felt it was the best thing to do. She chuckled darkly. She hated trickery and deception, and it was now the best way she had to not ruin his life.

"Or maybe there's another reason why and it wasn't recorded." Heinrich was still looking unconvinced. "I mean, those books may not be fully reliable. And besides, now that you know you will win, you should have fun sometime and-"

Salamander suddenly glared aggressively at something behind Heinrich. As he tried to follow her gaze, the hero couldn't see anything. She softened as she looked at Heinrich again.

"Just… try enjoying the situation as you can and don't do anything rash. You never know what will happen next."

"I'll remember it, thanks Salamander!"

The fire spirit smiled warmly. "Let's get some rest at the Pocket Castle, every inn is full, and even then it would be hard to sleep there with all the noise everybody is making."

Heinrich sighed upon hearing this. It was tiring to keep hearing about how humans and monsters kept looking for occasions to have sex in this era. Even if everybody was not loyally following the commandments of the Goddess of Light, they could at least be careful to not give in to every monster's temptation, no?

As they made their way through the town toward the exit, Salamander was periodically looking over her shoulder, as if she was afraid that someone was following them. Eventually, Heinrich started to wonder.

"Salamander?"

"Yes?" She was distracted by something behind them.

"Is there a problem?"

A loud crashing sound could be heard on a roof, followed by childish laughters and a string of profanities that was aimed against the fairies. Heinrich tried to identify the feminine voice as he was sure he already heard it before, but he couldn't remember when and from whom. Salamander laughed.

"Don't worry, it's just someone who got pranked by fairies. Let's get home."

* * *

In the most luxurious inn suite one could afford, Lilith was drawing another rune on her sister's bed. She took a break as soon as she finished it and smiled as she looked at the result: The next man who would lie there would enjoy an additional boost in endurance. The two sisters had infiltrated Grand Noah, hoping to see more of the prowess from the hero and his friends, and, so far, they were not disappointed. However, coming directly also proved problematic, as getting noticed could mean getting ganged up and beaten down. They could have taken on the residents a few months ago, but after they all trained for the tournament, it was nearly impossible. Furthermore, even if they intended to remain as stealthy as possible, their nature as succubi ended up resurfacing, and not before long a few visitors disappeared. They initially refrained from going after more public figures, but upon seeing Heinrich, Luka, and a few other men from the Pocket Castle they decided any consequences would be worth the catch.

As she heard a knock on the door, she put on her concealment cloak. While she enchanted the room to prevent their signature from spreading (as well as to prevent any noise from escaping when they were having their way with their latest preys), she and her sister still had to be careful to not get spotted once out there. Luckily, they managed to find several magic cloaks and discretion talismans when they searched Tamamo's room. As the heavenly knight/ex-ancestor was now on the run, they didn't hesitate to keep everything they found for themselves.

As soon as she opened the door, she was hit by a putrid smell coming from a mix of rotten eggs and other unidentifiable substances that caked the coat of the newcomer. She could see her sister's eyes glowing under the hood, seething with hatred.

"Not. A. Word."

She stepped in the room silently. Lilith closed the door and checked the seal again before removing her cloak. Astaroth threw her own cloth into a corner and launched a fireball at it while she made her way to the bathroom. Luckily, the material was resistant to elements, and only the trash that covered it was destroyed.

After she was done cleaning herself, she threw herself face first onto one of the bed, sighing heavily.

"No hero for tonight?"

Astaroth nodded negatively, and answered with a voice laced with poison.

"I consider adding fairies to the menu. That would be making this world a favor. And maybe roast them on Salamander's flames while we're at it."

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "It would be better to wait for the end of the tournament anyway, fewer people would notice. And Morrigan?"

The red haired succubus answered with her voices still muffled by a pillow. "She's not in danger. Mephisto is _re-educating_ her in her academy right outside the city, with the idea to make her more reasonable in mind." She rose her head up. "This is going as well as you'd expect. Should we break her out before she does something even more reckless than usual?"

Lilith tapped her chin with a finger. "No, if she betters herself in the hero's eyes, it will serve our interests more in the long run. We should rather take a minute to contact her to tell her to play along."

Astaroth nodded as she got up. "Great, I'll tell her tomorrow directly, it will be nice to see her once again." She rubbed her gloved hands together, smiling. "Did you get us anything for tonight?"

Lilith opened a cabinet's doors and gestured toward the content the same way a steward would present a menu. "One lost young man for me, and one gladiator who was angry at not being able to enter the competition for you." Both men were bound and gagged by a dark aura.

Astaroth shivered. "Oooh, my favorite! Thank you for the attention!" She seductively licked her lips as the man looked more angry than afraid. His bindings did prevent him from trying anything for now, but the succubus had no doubt they would prove unneeded in a few minutes. She grabbed him to carry him to her bed and noticed Lilith's work. "And you even decorated the table! How nice of you!"

Lilith smiled as she moved the terrified young man to her own bed. "The pleasure is all mine. Bon appétit!"


	20. Story 20: Happy hour - Male meals

John and Samson were discussing at the Pocket Castle's tavern. Both the commanders from San Ilia and Sabasa were eliminated in the early rounds of the tournament. Samson was beaten after a close fight against Laura, the mermaid queen, whose skills with a sword surprised more than one spectator. John, however, had the dubious honor of having fought against Lilith & Lilim, the twin succubi, who used the match as an occasion to show off their sexual skills in the arena by thoroughly ravishing him in front of everyone. He wanted to forget both the humiliation and the pleasure he received during his fight. As such, while Samson was mostly relaxing, John was actively trying to drown his sorrow, and had just switched from beer to bourbon as he wallowed down on the table. The Sabasan knight was starting to get worried about his counterpart's health.

"Are you alright?"

"I just got raped by twin succubi and ridiculed in front of everyone. What do you think?" His tone wasn't even aggressive, just depressed.

"Well, between the ones that join the tournament simply to get it on with a monster and those that want to show off, it's actually hard to say."

The soldier from San Ilia groaned. "I thought only residents from the Pocket Castle were in the tournament."

"They ARE residents of the Pocket Castle. I discussed with them once or twice."

"You mean Luka recruited them? Heroic pervert… Where do they come from anyway?"

"From another dimension if I got it right."

John's eyes widened. He took another sip of his drink as he took in the announcement. "You cannot be serious."

Samson started massaging his forehead. "It's true he recruited quite a large panel of monsters in his adventure. So that wouldn't be the most surprising." He showed his hand as he started recounting. "I mean he did recruit a giant worm, both our lords, the founder of Sabasa's bloodline, the minotaur queen, every succubi south of Hellgondo…"

"He also recruited the queens that launched the attacks on the town under the monster lord's order. We even get to live and discuss on friendly terms with them."

"And then we started recruiting angels from heaven."

"…Was that before or after recruiting the bitch that slaughtered the whole population of Luddite Village?"

"I think that was just before."

They took another gulp from their tanks. Samson was still fine, but John's speech was starting to get seriously slurred as his head wobbled.

"But at least, that blue haired whore makes for some eye candy, compared to the apoptosis." He shivered. "Dunno what freak me more between their appearances or their dom- dogmatic nimd- mnid- mindset."

"Yeah, I think they wouldn't be as scary if they were just mindless automatons rather than people turned into hive-minded horrors."

"It's weird that Luka somehow got them to join."

"Weirder than getting a legendary hero from the past from another dimension AND its arch enemy?"

John raised a finger while looking up, his mouth hanging open. He eventually conceded.

"Good point."

He took another gulp from his drink. Samson chuckled dryly.

"What's going to be next? The Monster Lord?"

"She dieded."

"The leader of the apoptosis?"

Both men looked each other in the eyes and took another gulp from their drink in synch. No word passed between them, but the message was clear:_ Let's never talk about that ever again. In fact we never did say anything about it._

"Ilias then maybe?"

John shook his head and accidentally sprayed some of his beverage around.

"Naaah, he's gonna SHTART DIGGIN WIZ HIZ ZWORD, UNURSSS ZEE ANK- ze anz-, zoss six bitch from hell, and he gonna make zem his. 'Cause he has shwag."

As he talked, he started miming the acts, ignoring the Scylla maid who was cleaning around him, and the latter was clearly getting angry about how the knight commander was talking of her Mother Goddess Queen. Samson cringed as the situation could get ugly…

"I hope your king doesn't see you like this."

"I'm off anyway, musst ssleep."

John unsteadily got up, caught himself on the table, and stumbled repeatedly as he left the bar. Samson kept an eye on the Scylla maid to be sure she wouldn't try anything against the one who badmouthed her ancestor. She just shrugged and got back to serving drinks.

The soldier leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes as he started daydreaming. His queen herself was going to fight in the tournament as a swordsman later, and it was his duty to be there to support her. He'd also enjoy watching her fight once more. His mind started wandering on what he would do once the tournament was over... Maybe he would get back to patrolling the streets of Sabasa. Or maybe they would find a new enemy to face.

A feminine voice asked. "May I take this seat?"

Samson gestured to the newcomer, who sat in front of him. When he opened his eyes, he realized it was Evita, one of the vampire that attacked Sabasa. She was carrying with her glass of Noah wine, and was clearly just looking for a calm place.

"Another bit the dust?"

The vampire eyed him strangely, wondering if he was mocking her vampire status or if he was just starting a casual conversation. She decided to humor him.

"Sword techniques used in duels are not effective against a pack of slimes. I should have studied more magic abilities before going in."

Samson chuckled, earning him another glare.

"What is so funny?"

"I wonder how many warriors will fall because they end up against an opponent whose skills counter their own."

She relaxed as she answered. "Too frequent for those who end up on the receiving end, apparently. The Scaly Bandit chief ended up facing a lowly succubus. Every pervert who watched will cherish the result for a long time, but I don't think the lizard will want to ever remember what happened."

Samson looked mostly indifferent. The vampire decided to tease him. "Aren't you sad that you missed such a spectacle? Oh, I forgot you are serving a succubus. You probably can get that kind of show on command."

The royal commander straightened his gaze as he answered almost mechanically. "She's first and foremost my queen. Besides, she has noble and powerful blood running through her veins, which give her a huge advantage. Furthermore, she got awakened by an extremely powerful succubus. I can't resist her."

"But you have the training and mental fortitude to resist. You are only confused by her charms because you must obey her but stay in your place at the same time. You would resist against anyone else's thanks to the skills you developed on your travels." She leaned closer to the guard, her full glass still in her hand. "Trained skills beat raw power."

"Aren't the leaders of the monster races defined by the power from their bloodline? Say what you want, this is what allow them to remain at the top."

"They got beaten by Luka."

"Who officially recognized having the blood of a powerful angel in his veins."

Evita haughtily supported her head on her wrist while still playing with her glass.

"Do you actually want to test your theory against mine?"

Samson repositioned himself as he considered the challenge.

"What's in it for me?"

Evita smiled evilly.

"The winner gets to do whatever he wants to the loser for the next night."

"Deal."

"Well, in that case, I shall inform you that Alrauna, the Alraune queen, lost against Alma Elma and just came back at the castle to recover. She's likely ready for a fight again."

"Great, so who will get to face her?"

Evita leaned back on her chair. "Well, I considered getting John to fight her, but he's utterly wasted right now. The only other possible contenders would be you, or one of the pervert and I am pretty sure none of them would even try seriously fighting her."

Samson nodded.

"You planned for that one, didn't you?"

The vampire smirked.

"It was you or Pilate, and a fox already has sights on him. I don't want to get on the bad side of her kin. They're quite skilled when it comes to ruining one's life."

Samson got up. "Well then, let's get started."

As they started moving down the hallway, Samson suddenly felt an uncomfortable idea come up.

"You don't do this to see me getting raped, do you?"

She answered reflexively. "No."

She was better of keeping for herself that the succubus had, as usual for her kind, used the fight as an occasion to show off her sexual skills while keeping the queen's attack away using her own wind. However, rather than finish off Alrauna as fast as possible, Alma Elma kept the queen on the verge of orgasm as much as possible until the latter gave up in frustration. The alraune had to get escorted out as she was trying to jump on every male she came across, and was confined to the Pocket Castle's courtyard until she cooled down.

Samson only had time to open the door before being snatched by vines without his weapons. Evita signaled someone in the hallway, and quickly, a young Promestein arrived with a video recording device in the courtyard.

"Thank you." She started setting up the device on a stabilizing tripod. "Getting to record the queen's procreation process may prove invaluable into further understanding how plant based monster reproduce." She talked louder to cover the lewd moans coming from the couple. "I am certain it will help me understand how exactly hey spread their seeds."

The vampire shrugged. "Just don't forget your end of the deal."

Promestein distractedly answered. "Oh, don't worry, once I'll have gotten a sample from Morrigan, giving you the ability to change your race to succubus will be child's play." She then muttered under her breath. "I will also give you several boost drinks, they always overestimate their partner's stamina."


	21. Story 21: Happy hour - Foxes on the hunt

The Pocket Castle bar was full and the ambiance was morose, as it ended up being the place where most defeated competitor went once they could no longer participate in the tournament. Most of them wanted to forget their ignominious (and sometimes humiliating defeat) in the tournament in a process that involved copious amount of alcohol. However, seeing all the other losers only worsened their mood. It was an endless, vicious circle of depression and alcohol.

Four kitsunes were sitting around a table. Minamo, Izuna, Nanabi and Haruka were looking morose. None of them had managed to pass the elimination rounds, and all left the arena with a feeling of shame. While the other kitsunes were drinking various fruit juices, the kunoichi was drinking straight from a bottle of sake. Nanabi made a disapproving noise and glared at her.

"You shouldn't be drinking that much."

The kunoichi answered with an empty gaze.

"I got beaten by a nurse succubus… in front of everyone. All my years of ninjutsu training was overwhelmed by a few medicine techniques… And then she proceeded to use her tail…"

Nanabi took the tone she usually used to teach the younger kitsunes.

"You should use your defeat as an opportunity to learn. You have underestimated your opponent and got defeated. The best weapons and the most powerful skills are useless if they're not wielded with a serene mind and the stability of the mountain."

Nanabi was looking proud of her lesson, but the kunoichi didn't show a smidge of interest for her senior's lesson. The seven tailed fox let it slide, as the younger kitsune's pride was clearly damaged. She herself could remain proud, as she only got beaten once more by the Hero Luka, who won all his fights.

Haruka took a sip of her drink.

"Oh, come on, at least the worst is behind you! You're going to be fine! It's not like you also were with someone else!"

Minamo hiccupped.

"What are you even talking about?"

Haruka perked up.

"Oh, didn't you hear the rumor?"

Nanabi and Izuna were glaring at her. They didn't appreciate the tendencies Haruka had to still act like a schoolgirl, which included enjoying every gossip and other salacious stories. This didn't deter her in the slightest as she recounted proudly what she heard.

"Well I heard that Samson was caught in Alrauna's flower. Apparently they had been doing it for quite a while when somebody finally noticed. He said he had been lured in a trap by one of the vampire, but everybody can tell that he's lying."

Minamo scratched her chin. "Samson… Wait, is this the royal guard from Sabasa? The man who's hitting on his queen, Sara, who's half succubus now?"

"Yes."

Minamo grinned. "Well it looks like he is going to be…"

Nanabi ineffectively swatted Minamo with her fan. The kunoichi didn't even react to the attack.

"…royally screwed."

She proceeded to pass out on the ground in front of everyone. Izuna's kudagitsune was laughing. Nobody else bat an eye in front of the kitsune's antics.

Nanabi smirked, as she remembered Tamamo's lessons on the damages alcohol could create. At least, she didn't have to be the most ashamed of the group. She finished her drink and declared loudly. "Well, I'm going to need to recover all that energy." She licked her lips. "There are some youths in Yamatai that are waiting to get tasted by my tails."

Haruka exclaimed herself. "Wait I'm coming too!"

The two fox-centaurs left the area, freeing a surprising amount of space in the process. Of the kitsunes, only Izuna was still remaining. She silently finished her drink before vacating the premise, leaving the other warrior's drunken company.

As she made her way to the barracks, she took a quick glance in the chapel. She saw only were a few humans and monsters, none of the usual angels were present. She also identified the rainbow armor worn by Pilate, giving her a reason to wander in. As she took a better look, the fox samurai realized that no one present was actually praying, but people were rather resting on the benches or even on the carpet, a far cry from the usual respect they gave this place.

She approached Midzuki. The Miko Lamia was lying down, her tail extended over several benches.

"What's going on? Aren't there supposed to be angels?"

The lamia shrugged.

"The seraphim wanted to see Enrika by themselves, Victoria left to the Nothern Undersea Temple after her defeat for unknown reasons, Cupi is busy _comforting_ as many people as possible in Grand Noah, and the remaining ones are visiting San Ilia."

Izuna shivered as she remembered the forms of Elciel and Uranus. She wondered how the civilians there would react when they'd see the eldritch looking angels and when they'd have to deal with their bottomless self-righteous hunger. Well, that was one way to limit the growing spread of the faith in Ilias…

"And you? I thought you would still be in Grand Noah, giving a show with Saki."

The lamia answered with a hint of weariness in her voice.

"Everybody is partying hard there, it's near impossible to sleep. And I got tired of all the men hitting on me and looking for a quick fuck." She exhaled, still looking at the ceiling. "In fact, I kept feeling their hungry gaze on me, only looking to quench their hunger with a miko."

Izuna raised her eyebrow. "Did you consider covering your chest and not dancing sexily in front of them?"

The lamia got up, apparently wounded.

"Those are traditional lamia dances. It is my duty to entertain everyone with them. And just because my chest is on display does not mean I am open for affairs. I am a pure maiden of the snake shrine, first and foremost."

Izuna's kudagitsune whispered something into one of her ear. She smiled, her expression concealed by the tail she always kept in front of her mouth.

"Pure? The youth from Yamatai would disagree. Every time I travel there, your scent permeates several of them."

The lamia's face turned red. Eventually getting fed up with the fox, she got up and started leaving the room. On her way out, she tried using her tail to whip the source of her annoyance. Izuna nonchalantly dodged the attack, still smirking behind her tail before her way to the soldier who was still resting.

"Also done with the tournament?"

Pilate took a look in her direction. He answered in a monotone voice.

"I did not expect to pass the first elimination pool. Then I shared the second one with that creepy Spider Princess, Alice, and Hild." He looked back at the wall. "I'm just glad I ended this tournament unmolested."

The fox was getting a little too close to the soldier's taste. He twisted uncomfortably repeatedly.

"And you choose to rest here?" She straddled the end of the bench in front of him.

"I appreciate the tranquility of the place. Grand Noah is a mess right now, and I can't even go back in Ilias Village without everyone asking me how are my adventure with Luka. The price for being popular."

"There are better places to relax. I heard you actually never went to Yamatai. Don't you want to visit it?"

The samurai was trying to look disinterested, but several of her tails were swishing side to side, betraying her excitement. Pilate got up and put his helmet back on.

"I apologize, but it will be for another time. Midzuki is probably right when she said that the arrival of angels in San Ilia will cause a riot, and the local guards will probably appreciate some assistance."

He exited the room. A few seconds later, Izuna's ears drooped and her tails went limp. Eventually, she decided to go check back on Minamo. They could still go to Grand Noah and enjoy watching the final matches together…

As she reached the bar, her friend was still lying on the ground. She effortlessly picked her up and lifted her over her shoulder. As she made her way outside, her cargo started talking in a slurred speech.

"Guuuuuh… I hate this week… my tofu get replaced by tasteless bread thanks to those fairies, then they dance and reduce me to a gnome for an hour, and then I get chased by a nekomata…

Izuna started nodding distractedly. The kunoichi groaned before she continued ranting.

"… and then I end up defeated by a nurse, and then Yao barges into my room during a private moment, and then I get a lesson from Nanabi…"

Izuna kept nodding distractedly, until suddenly her ears perked up as her eye opened wide.

"Wait, WHAT?"


	22. Story 22: Exposing the entertainment

As the elimination pools match were finally over, the council that was responsible for organizing the festival reunited once again on the matter. Several queen class monsters were in good spirit as they had made their way to the eighth finals, while others were looking slightly ashamed after they got beaten by a monster (or sometimes even a human) whom they thought weaker.

The first subject brought in was the overall result the festival had in mending the relationships between humans and monsters. The results were mostly positive, as the population at large was accepting that their future relied on the monsters that joined them to help them against a common enemy. There still was a certain tension between the two groups, and the damages done by the Monster Lord would likely take years to properly repair. The negative aspects were those foreseen -the Grand Noah queen grimaced-. Several affairs wrecked a few human couples, and the fairies pranks, while not ill natured, were not appreciated by those that had to endure them. Nor by those who were awakened in the middle of the night by the scream of those people.

The second issue at hand was an unexplained string of disappearance: Several men disappeared over the week, with an average of five to six per days, and no traces could be found. Of course, the first suspects considered were the more predatory monsters currently living in the city, as eating the evidence was a good way to make it disappear. Several sighs could be heard, as it could be seen by the population at large that the Ilias fanatics were right and that monsters could never be trusted.

Queen Ant engaged her personal responsibility over the actions of the Spider Princess and her clique, as she found a way to always keep an eye on them. She told everyone that while the monsters took several partners over the course of the week, none of them actually killed or consumed a lover, only leaving them exhausted in a dark street. The attention was turned toward the other predatory monsters, until Alrauna, the plant queen reminded everyone that several people left the city in the middle of the night for a moment of actual tranquility, sometimes by the sky. Mephisto answered that she would personally watch over this inquiry.

Lastly, the subject of the results of the elimination pool of the tournaments was brought in. When the team who organized the pools planned them, they were worried the results would be too predictable, as it was clear several monsters were a league above the others in their pool. Several results were actually surprising:

-Salamander, who was one of the favorite, found herself eliminated in the second pool once and for all by Yugiri, a yoma made of mist. Everyone expressed concern about how weak she appeared then, after having wrecked Eva without breaking a sweat. However, she declared that she had no one to blame but herself for her defeat.

-Victoria, the war angel, had forfeited her fight after being reduced to a moaning mess by the tentacles of Ooma. Everybody expected the valkyrie to win, as her flight abilities would give her the same mobility the Scylla usually had in the ocean, but it was clear she was fighting with too much complacency, and ended up paying the price with her pride.

-The victory of Nabisu, a succubus nurse, also surprised more than one spectator. No one expected to see a monster that focused her skills on supporting others reach the eighth finals. And yet, she somehow managed to win all her matches, even standing to the likes of Zenovia, the undead Scylla queen.

-And, most surprisingly, Alma Elma, also known under the pseudonym "Kyuba" lost to Len, one of the lizard bandits. Everybody anticipated the succubus victory, as she had already beaten stronger opponent, and the lizardkin was extremely weak to pleasure. While the thief managed to remain steady against the succubus queen, it was clear the latter was toying with her during the fight. The succubus somehow lost focus for a moment and proceeded to be knocked out by the assassin who exploited the opportunity with her enchanted weapon. The victory was not even celebrated, and Alma silently went missing as soon as she was healed. She came back several hours later in a bad mood, without further comment. Fortunately, a rematch was organized as they both won two fights in their pool, and only one would be accepted in the finaleighths. Alma Elma beat her opponent easily, and thoroughly ravished her "to make up for last time."

The former incident was soon forgotten by everybody, save for a handful such as Mephisto. She herself had grown concerned during the competition, but fortunately, she still managed to qualify herself in the eighth by beating Succubus, the mayor from the village that shared her name.

Of course, Luka and Heinrich both came out as winners in their own trials, and the possibility to see them facing each other in the semi finals was becoming very real. The initial predictions were that the winner would face Alma Elma in the final, but considering how whimsical the succubus queen could get, all bets were open.

Eventually, the room gradually emptied with only Mephisto and the Grand Noah queen remaining. The former was still cringing, as the memories of her failed plan to catch Alma Elma resurfaced. The queen looked at her advisor.

"Concerning Alma Elma's reaction… do we have a situation to deal with?"

Mephisto answered in a surprised tone. "I do not exactly understand her majesty's question."

The Queen leaned back on her throne, taking an imperious posture in the process.

"We both travelled enough with the succubus queen to know that her loss shouldn't have happened. The reason it happened was because she reacted to something unrelated to the match. And while she is whimsical at her best, she doesn't have the attention span of an hungry puppy, so the incident that attracted her attention must have been something notable. Which makes me think the nature of the threat might be serious… And there are not many threats out there that would warrant that designation."

Mephisto bowed respectfully. "You can see through me as one would see through a crystal glass. I regret to announce that someone broke in the academy. The intruders used both physical and magical means to conceal their signature, making them impossible to identify. However, considering the inhuman speed at which the operation was done and the presence of one of their kin inside, I, of course, suspect the remaining Lilith Sisters."

The queen sighed. "They're actually the ones responsible for the disappearances, aren't they?"

Mephisto started fiddling with her wand once more. "Morrigan proved surprisingly cooperative when I interrogated her. The answer is that they're not responsible for _all_ the disappearances." Mephisto lowered her hat to conceal her ashamed expression. "For all we know, it could be a drunken monster, such as a harpy, who wanted a tranquil spot to do it with her partner, brought him outside the city's limits, and then forgot to bring him back in after having done the deed. It would certainly be something one of those birdbrains would do." The yoma looked at the ceiling, lost in thoughts. "I remember reading about the few laws that were written by the Dark Goddess herself. I found myself surprised when one of those law was explicitly against the consumption of alcohol. I wanted to know why such an oddball would be present, but with today's hindsight, I am not really sure I still want to." Mephisto took a look back at the queen. "I will make sure that the guards comb the area around the city. But I defer to your judgment in how we should deal with those succubi that found a way to infiltrate our city to use it for their own leisure."

The Grand Noah queen crossed her hands in front her as she pondered the decision for a moment. She took her decision.

"Select those who can keep a secret for themselves amongst those who lost and inform them of the possible issue. No inquiry should be started until after the tournament is over and most of the population have been evacuated. Those deaths are tragic, but the panic would create a witch hunt and turn the city into a warzone, and the extra population would worsen the issue."

"Your wish is my order."

Mephisto bowed once more and left the room.

The queen found herself alone, hoping her decision wasn't going to backfire.


	23. Story 23: Heinrich's tale - Nursing

Heinrich jumped back after his last attack on his opponent failed yet again. He was growing frustrated with this fight, and noticed he already had committed several costly mistakes as he was losing focus. The crowd was chanting his name as much as his opponent's.

On the final eighth, he had found himself fighting Fatima. The queen of vampires was a dangerous opponent: She was a powerful magus, able to summon the elements as well as hypnotizing an opponent in a fraction of a second. She was also supernaturally strong, and her skills with her cloak had turned more than one opponent into a prey begging to be sucked dry while she drained his energy through his different fluids. But between her overconfidence and Heinrich's own mastery over the fire and holy elements, she got easily beaten by the hero from the past.

As such, when Heinrich learned his next opponent would be Nabisu, a no name succubus nurse, he thought the victory would come easily, as he had faced way stronger and more tempting opponents. He was surprised however to hear a significant portion of the crowd chanting her name. As an (assumedly) weaker monster facing and winning against seemingly impossible odds, a lot of people took a liking to her. Her underdog status got her a growing fanbase.

She was looking at him with her usual innocent, happy smile as he was panting. He had to acknowledge that if the succubus went that far in this tournament, there probably was a good reason. He could no longer make the mistake of underestimating her as he kept being unable to take her out. Worse, he felt his body growing on the edge, craving for the nurse's inappropriate touch.

She was dual wielding a scalpel and a sex toy that looked like a succubus tail, and was manipulating both with a surgeon's precision. He could barely follow the movement of her hands each time she attacked, and while the raw power behind her assault was weak, he could feel different effects poisoning his body and his mind.

Furthermore, she kept using a makina to shield herself at every occasion available. Each time Heinrich managed to land a hit on her, he only took down one layer of her shield, and she managed to heal herself thanks to her medicine skills right afterward. Meanwhile, every time she landed a counter attack, he had one more cut on his body or was a bit closer to critical ecstasy.

"Oh my, your frustration is getting pent up. This is not healthy at all."

She announced her statement with a concerned expression. She brought up her sex toy. The succubus tail was waving around like a lewd snake as its tip opened wide, showing a wrinkled, mucus-filled cavity.

"Don't you want help with this toy? You will feel better afterward."

With a war cry, Heinrich launched himself in a powerful thrust toward the succubus. Her barrier took the attack and she tried to strike him with both weapons. Heinrich managed to parry the blade, but the toy managed to grope his crotch for a second and left a noticeable amount of aphrodisiac mucus on his pants.

Heinrich stumbled and rolled back to face the succubus nurse once more. She used her makina again to restore her shield, and injected herself with another substance to enhance her abilities.

The hero smirked as he finally came up with a plan. He took his shield from his back and raised it in front of him. He created some additional distance between them, and suddenly started charging straight at the succubus. Just before he collided with her, he imbued his sword with fire and started spinning, sending several waves of fire in her direction while getting closer and closer to her. Nabisu was overwhelmed by the assault, as her barrier broke, and she suffered several burning slashes. Once Heinrich lost his momentum, he raised his sword high to prepare for a final slash. However, the succubus embraced him and made them both fall on the ground. He lost his sword in the process, and Nabisu was repositioning herself on top of him.

"Sheesh, fine, I will help you myself! Consider giving me your energy as punishment for not following my instructions!"

The hero still had his shield and bashed at the succubus stomach violently, knocking the wind out of her and allowing him to awkwardly roll away toward his sword. They both got up at the same time, and Heinrich was gripping his sword so hard his fingers were turning red.

Nabisu activated her barrier again, but before she could use medicine to heal herself up Heinrich attacked in a frenzied assault with both his sword and his shield. Her barrier broke as she started to parry's Heinrich's strikes. The difference in their strength and stamina ended up playing in the hero's favor, as he still had the energy to keep attacking while the succubus was forced to use exterior sources to compensate her limited endurance.

Eventually, she threw her scalpel straight at the hero's head in a last ditch attack. Heinrich dodged the attack and finally knocked her out unconscious.

Once it was clear Nabisu wouldn't get up, the announcer's voice boomed.

"Aaand the winner is the legendary hero Heinrich! Give him your applause! No monsters can stop this man!"

Heinrich walked out under the acclamations, still panting from the effort.

It was late in the afternoon when the healers were finally done with fixing him. As he walked through the streets, he decided to go to the pub to hear about the latest rumors and the other fights. As he entered, a familiar voice greeted him.

"Good evening Heinrich!"

He blinked rapidly.

"Alicetromeria! Where have you been?"

"Oh, I was travelling around... those fights at the coliseum get boring to see after a while, and I wanted to see more of this world… Hey, you know that in this world, the ant queen is living in Grangold?"

Upon being reminded that he was not in his world, Heinrich's expression darkened.

"Oh my, why so glum, are you still worried about home?"

"I can't help it. I'm afraid for the world we left in the claws of the Monster Lord, even if it is for a bigger goal. And you, aren't you worried about it?"

"I studied enough about the Monster Lord to know she will not attack for a loooong time."

Heinrich smiled. "I wish I could be as carefree as you." His eyes opened wide. "In a good way I mean. Not that I think you're reckless or anything."

Alicetromeria laughed upon hearing Heinrich losing himself in excuses. "You're so funny when you get confused! I wish I could see that face more often!"

The hero chuckled. "Then maybe you will come to see me for my next fight?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss this fight for anything in the world! Nobody would!"

Heinrich's smile grew at her response. "Yes, everybody enjoy watching the coliseum's fights."

The disguised yoma looked at him with an apparent expression of surprise. "Oh, so you really don't know?"

Heinrich was suddenly confused again. "What?"

"Your next opponent is going to be Luka! Everybody wants to see the two heroes clashing!"


	24. Story 24: Too many cooks at the coliseum

The streets of Grand Noah were crowded by people gossiping. The tournament was a hyped event in those troubled time, but, even then, everybody was more than hyped in front of the second half final poster. Two heroes would soon be clashing. One legend who came straight from a past tale facing a hero who was raising an army to defend the world. Everybody was eager to see their raw skill in the arena. The winner would face Alma Elma, the succubus queen, in a final, that, by her own words "would leave everyone but her begging for more".

In the castle, the Grand Noah queen was busy reading the latest series of reports. There apparently was a small chain of incidents involving gambles on the tournament's results, the mafia, and migration papers for Succubus Village. She'd have to talk to Grangold's king and Succubus about it. She suddenly heard some chuckling coming from Mephisto, who was looking outside through a window.

"Did something happen?"

"I apologize, your majesty, I was just wondering how funny it was that amidst a large population that would be ready to kill each other to get a taste of the succubus queen, her challenger is going to be someone that would definitely not look forward her attention."

The queen sighed. "I am more worried about the upcoming fight." She got up from her chair and pointed at the window. "What do you see outside?"

"I see a crowd of people taking a break from their daily lives, as they're enjoying the tournament. They're eager to see both heroes facing each other." Mephisto pulled out her wand as she guessed the train of thoughts of her queen. "A potential riot. If people are disappointed by the fight, they will raise hell."

The queen nodded. "Precisely. The poster is something straight out of a dream come true, and people are coming to expect a fight that will be on this level." She started walking around the throne room. "But we both know that the heroes respect each other too much to put all their effort in this. They might not even fight seriously."

Mephisto tapped her chin with her wand.

"If I may, we have an… opportunity to make the fight more interesting anyway, but that would require baiting one of the more… let's say… adventurous? Yes, one of the more adventurous monster currently wandering this world."

The queen raised an eyebrow and invited her advisor to continue.

"Getting her to show up will be quite easy, she's apparently supposed to remain concealed but she's not exactly obedient. Getting her to show up to _wreck_ the fight will require a minimal amount of effort on our end, if the legends I read are correct." Mephisto grinned. "And imagine this. The two heroes barely fight each other, then an enemy that would require the effort of both to defeat suddenly appear in the arena. They fight as one and beat her down, showing everyone the strength of humanity's finest while entertaining the population."

"What are the best, most likely, and worst case scenario?"

"The best case scenario will result in a fight that will be remembered until the end of the world, the most likely will be an epic fight where we will have to openly tip the scales, and the worst…" Mephisto cringed. "We can say good bye to the coliseum. But I'm pretty sure that with all the monsters around, getting reinforcement in time will prevent reaching that point."

The room remained silent for a few seconds as the sovereign was thinking the situation over and over again in her head.

"It's still better than the whole city burning. Do it."

Mephisto bowed. "Thank you, your majesty, now, I only need to get a peach big enough. Maybe in Yamatai…"

* * *

-Coliseum wing-

Guards were busy patrolling the coliseum's wings. The security was tighter than usual with the tournament. They were actively looking for any intruder, while ignoring the two cloaked figures that were barely making any effort toward remaining unnoticed.

The two older Lilith sisters were currently infiltrating the arena's backstage. Astaroth apparently had a zero risk plan to make the fight between the heroes "more enjoyable for everyone, and easy to put into place". Lilith initially hesitated, as getting caught with so many powerful monsters around could be troublesome in a certain measure. However, nobody had apparently considered that they were enjoying the same show as everyone did in Grand Noah, and they weren't actively searched so far. They left monsters more experienced in dealing with administrative issues sort the mess left by the Monster Lord's death back at the castle, and even openly left some leeway for the rogue Tamamo to manage the situation while they were away.

Lilith closed her eyes and focused her supernatural senses. She could feel the life of every being in the coliseum. Humans, monsters, even an angel who was probably coming from the Pocket Castle were visible to her. All were patrolling around, and none had noticed the two sisters "helping" to prepare the fight.

Astaroth grabbed a small red flower from a pouch, and used its root to attach it right above the entrance to the arena. She also grabbed a purple hair that came from Luka, and used it to secure her spell. If he did pass here, a gust of wind would spray the flower's pollen on him. They did the same trick at the opposite entrance. As they were finishing, Lilith asked her sister.

"Where did you find those burst flowers?"

"Same place I found the scrying ball: Tamamo's bedroom. That fox has so much stuff hidden, it will take months to find and identify everything. From books to weapons and monster's parts… I think I saw some inert slime from Kanade in a jar and one of mother's ribbons."

"I wonder how she managed to keep that. Also why don't they use these flowers directly?"

"People prefer drinks. And the flowers give so much energy they can make the recipient a bit violent."

"How do you know? You tested it on your partner?"

Astaroth smirked. The sisters started making their way out. There was no reason for anyone to investigate what was happening, but dawdling would risk attracting attention and make their plan fail, and they were uncomfortable staying in a confined space for too long anyway. As she saw the angel passing, Lilith could feel a rising desire to jump her and pleasure her until her victim lost herself moaning in absolute bliss. She restrained herself, as it could ruin their current plan, and the duo left the coliseum's backstage without alerting or molesting anyone.

The succubi stretched themselves once out. They'd still have to wear their coat for now, but at least their set up was ready and they were less likely to be found out.

"What are we going to do until the match start?"

"Do you want to get something to eat? Seeing that angel so close made me quite hungry…"

"I noticed a few passed out people in the tavern…"

"No, drunkards taste worse than baptized heroes."

The succubi checked for people around them like a gourmet would look at a menu.

"Too young… too fat… Too old… Is currently fucking a harpy…" Lilith sighed. "I wish we were in our world, we'd just have to drop this cloak and people would line up, we'd just have to make my choice."

"Hunting for your own food also has its own charm. I am starting to think we became a bit lazy back there."

Lilith eventually noticed two adventurers discussing at a table about the coliseum. Their crass manner drove off most waitresses, but they didn't smell of alcohol and looked vigorous enough. She nodded in their direction and licked her lips.

"Lunch is served."

* * *

-Noah countryside-

A small army of monsters was camping in a clearing. From the ones that thought themselves wronged, to the radicals that wanted to keep fighting humankind against the order of their queen, without forgetting boundless rapists who were too extreme even by their kin's standard, none was happy with their place in the world. As they discussed, they realized most of them had made their way here after one too many defeat at the same hero's hand. A powerful looking arachne stepped on a natural platform.

"Free monsters from the entire world!" As her voice boomed, everyone fell silent. "We are now numerous! The marginals, the left over, and the pariahs, who've been mocked, muzzled, broken! But we will no longer be ill treated! Today mark the moment we will finally rise against those who oppress us!" Whispers of approval could be heard.

"Neither kings nor gods will tell us what to do! We are the only ones who will decide our own fate in this world! We won't bend the knee like this wretched elf queen or Spider Princess!" She spat these words out. "Instead, we will see how those that tried for so long to crush us under their boots will like suffering our wrath! And we will start by killing the fool that dared to attack us and corrupt our lords with his words, the damned hero Luka!"

A wooden doll wearing a red cape and carrying a wooden sword popped up behind her. She stroke it down successively with each of her eight legs, tearing it apart.

"And now, a faker taking the name of the legendary hero Heinrich joined him on his adventure!" Another doll like the first popped out before suffering the same treatment. Everyone cheered her. She gestured for everyone to calm down. "We will not be remembered by waiting for death to come for us, we will attack first!"

"And we found the opportunity to strike them both! Tomorrow, the coliseum holds a match between those two _legendary_ heroes! We will take them for us and break them in front of everyone! Mark my words! When we will be done, they will beg us to be our slaves! Grand Noah! Will ! Be! Ours!"

Cheers exploded from the crowd once more.

As she stepped down, a vampire approached her. "Aren't you afraid our plan will fail? The fairy queen failed to conquer Grand Noah when backed up by the Monster Lord, and now we will do the same but with almost all the queens against us."

The arachne put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Their minds were clouded by doubt, which made their arms weak. We will have the advantage of surprise, and we're more numerous than them. We will beat them! Do you doubt my plan?"

"No! I am not! I am just concerned about the large number of enemies we will be facing!"

"Then rest, and prepare for our battle! Tomorrow, we will sleep in the queen's castle!"

The vampire nodded, she knew monsters there were motivated. She also guessed that Luka probably was just as motivated on his adventure to actually manage to convince several queen class monsters to join him. She also guessed that the monsters present in the tournament had trained a lot, and some losers would probably be eager to pass their nerves on anyone who would give them a reason.

By the time the sun rose, she had disappeared far away from the camp.


	25. Story 25: Exploding the entertainment

The Coliseum was filled to the brim with spectators waiting to see the heroes fight. Thousands of people, whether they were humans or monsters, were cheering for the heroes to come and fight in the arena. All had come from far and wide to see the clash, which was even transmitted through machinas present in larger cities in the world. Even in their own towns, people were cheering upon one hero or the other.

Luka, however, was waiting nervously a room with Alice keeping him company. He guessed that Heinrich was likely in the same situation with Alicetromeria comforting him. He was still worried about the situation, which didn't remain unnoticed by Alice for long.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Luka answered in an unusually coarse voice. "I am fighting a legendary hero, whom I recently learned was my great great grandfather, in front of so many people it wouldn't be inappropriate to say the whole world is watching. All that after learning that the world may be going to end soon. I keep hearing people talking about how it will be the best fight to see, and every royals tell how this will be the fight of the century. So I didn't get sleep for several nights, and I feel like I'm going to collapse as soon as I get out.

Alice put a hand on his shoulder to try to reassure him. "Hey, we've dealt with worse. You've dealt with worse, and you always made it. You'll be fine."

He turned towards the lamia, who was surprised to see his blood injected eyes. "I was fine with infiltrating Grangold and ending up facing an Ancestor, I had no difficulty dealing with the Monster Lord's armies, and I always managed to answer every request made. But I never realized how much people actually looked up to me." He got up and started moving anxiously around the room. "It's one thing to face a challenge in an adventure. It's another one when people say they expect great things from you. But having to deal with their expectation live is on a whole new level!" He exhaled slowly in an attempt to reassure himself. "I can't disappoint them."

Alice removed her hand. She didn't know what she could do to help him feel better in front of the situation.

As the door opened, Luka felt a gust of wind entering the waiting room. He felt a bit of dust fall on him as he stepped outside. He didn't notice Alice going wide eyed behind him as he was making his way to the center of the arena, and felt himself going a bit better. Vigor was coming back into his muscles, chasing away his stress.

"Ladies, and gentlemen, here is the first hero. He's the one who crossed Tartarus, the legend from the present, the one who will save the world, LUKA!"

Luka welcomed the cheers as he felt the anticipation rising in his body. He was now eager for a fight. The door at the opposite end of the arena opened, letting Heinrich stepped in the arena.

"And against him, the one who killed Black Alice, from another past another world, always and forever a hero, HEINRICH!"

Heinrich was waving to the fans cheering him. Luka noticed his ancestor was as eager as him to fight as he noticed him. Both heroes pulled out their sword at the same time and jumped at each other like two rabid dogs.

"Woah! It seems we jump straight into action!"

Luka was swinging his sword at Heinrich in a chain of connected attacks. The latter jumped high to avoid it and imbued his blade with fire in an attempt to finish Luka in one strike. Rather than dodging the powerful attack by jumping back, the half angel hero chose to jump to attack him mid air. The two opponents shouted at the same time.

"Sylph!"

Both heroes seemed to be flying in mid air as they were exchanging powerful blows at lightning speed. Sensing a sudden opportunity, Luka positioned himself slightly above Heinrich.

"Gnome!"

He used the full weight of his body to bash Heinrich and smash him in the ground. The impact formed a small crater that raised dust. Right afterwards, Heinrich violently kicked Luka away from him and raised himself from the crater he formed, barely scathed by the attack. Both heroes used a spell to heal themselves before jumping right back at each other with powerful warcries.

"Burning decapitation!"

"Thunder thrust!"

They made no effort in deviating their opponent's attack. Each attack connected, leaving Luka with a large gash on his shoulder and Heinrich with a long slash on his side. They healed themselves once more and resumed their assault.

* * *

In the royal lodge, Mephisto was starting to get nervous and pulled out her wand, the item's weight reassuring her. She didn't expect the heroes would go at each other that violently. The elven queen was looking both appreciative of the show and shocked by the violence happening down there.

"It looks like our worries were unfounded." The Grand Noah Queen stated that with a matter of fact tone. "The heroes are way more eager and violent than usual."

"Yes." Mephisto answered in a deadpan tone.

"I suppose this is to blame on an outside intervention."

"Yes."

She could hear Freya sneer. The elf queen had already drawn her own conclusion.

Both characters remained silent for a minute before the queen started again.

"I suppose it is too late to cancel our plan to make the fight more entertaining?"

The yoma looked at the sky. An unidentified item approached the arena like a falling star. After a few seconds, her fears were confirmed as her magical senses managed to identify the projectile's signature.

"Yes."

She stepped down and started walking away. She had to check on the arena's entrances.

The Grand Noah queen took a sip of her drink before looking at her elven equal. "I will get the mages to lower the shield between the arenas and the stands. May I suggest getting a team ready to intervene to welcome our guest?"

The elven queen telepathically relayed the message to her followers, while asking them to warn as many warriors as possible. She could see the waves her message made through the arena's benches. She took her bow from her back and readied it. "It seems that most of us are ready to strike. But if you are right, such a monster might be too strong for our forces currently available."

The Grand Noah queen finished her drink before taking the whip and the shield standing near the throne.

"We're going to have to step in ourselves then."

* * *

In an inn's room, the two older Lilith sisters were wallowing on their beds, looking at a ball that was projecting what was happening in the Coliseum on the wall. They were enjoying the show, occasionally feeding on a tourist that they had managed to catch earlier.

"Sister?"

"Yes Lilith?"

"Did you mix the Burst Flower and the Blood Bane?"

"I don't know, I never was one for botany. What's the difference?"

"Well, one is used to make burst drink. And the other is a violent poison that destroys the heart."

"I'm pretty sure that's not what's happening. And you also saw the flowers."

"You're right." Lilith kept looking at the orb. "Wasn't the reason behind transforming the flower before consumption that it reacted randomly with the Monster Lord's genes?"

Her sister shrugged, her tail started snaking toward the groin of an entranced victim. "Maybe, but I think only Alipheese and her lovers would be concerned in that case. Gotta ask Kanon. Or Tamamo."

"…Wouldn't it also affect the ones in direct contact with her genetic material."

"Meh, what are the odds that both Luka and Heinrich bang the Monster Lord before…" Astaroth slapped herself. "Nevermind."

"We might have thought that one out better."

"It can't end that badly, unless they kill each other in which case we will… be stuck in this world until it gets destroyed." Lilith got up and grabbed her concealment coat. "I'll be back. I have a call to make."

* * *

Both heroes kept attacking each other in an orgy of violence. It was not a technical fencing fight or even an honor bound duel. Neither fighter was making effort to defend himself, they had no goal but to take the other down as fast as possible. Occasionally, when the recoil of their attack separated them, they healed and buffed themselves with various spells, but every single action was either done to destroy the opponent in a display of raw power or use a spell to stay in the fight just a bit longer. Even then, after several minutes, no fighter showed a single sign of doubt or of exhaustion resulting from their apparent wounds. They kept going at each other in a state of frenzy.

"World Ending Slash!"

"Heavenly Strike!"

As their swords clashed, the dark and holy elements reacted, exploding violently. Both heroes were propelled by the explosion across the arena. They healed themselves and stacked every buff possible in synch. From imbuing their sword with various elements to summoning the four spirits, every skill that could be used to enhance their raw power in any way was cast.

Suddenly, a meteor crashed, sending a wave of debris. As the dust settled, a figure clad in red wearing a staff revealed itself. She had the look of an Amazonian beauty, and also had monkey like features.

"Greetings! I am the legendary Sun Wukong! And I came here to challenge the her-OH!"

She barely had the time to react before both heroes attacked her in their drug fueled rage. She used her staff to parry both attacks and spun around several time in a split second.

"It seems a new challenger appeared in the arena!" The announcer was barely containing his excitation. "And it looks like the heroes are not happy to get interrupted."

"Hey! Hey! This isn't what I expected! Did I fall into another trap?" She disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Bah, it doesn't matter! I will beat you bo-oth?"

As soon as she disappeared, the heroes resumed their attack on each other, swinging their sword with all their might as if she never was there in the first place. Both heroes had summoned Salamander at the same time, and the result looked like a firestorm from afar.

"That's not fair either!" She jumped back in the melee with all her might. The fight soon devolved in a three way chaos. Heinrich slashed at Luka who tanked the hit while the latter was attacking Sun Wukong who barely managed to parry his blade with her staff as she pushed the other hero back. She tried a sweeping attack but Luka managed to grab her weapon. He summoned Sylph and Gnome while the Monkey Queen tried to shake him off. He eventually let go of the staff as she launched him upward. As he rose higher thanks to the wind and inertia, she prepared a powerful strike to receive him, but she got caught off guard by one of Heinrich's holy attack, allowing Luka to land on both of them crashing like a meteor.

"What a mess! Dear spectators, I don't think the situation can become more chaotic!" The voice was almost drowned by the excitation that kept pouring from the stands.

* * *

Mephisto was walking through the Coliseum's backstage toward the entrance Luka came from. When she reached the room, she noticed Alicetromeria was using tentacles to prevent Alice from moving, and had difficulties keeping the lamia down.

"Let me go! I have to warn the queen about what the sisters did!"

"But I don't want you to spoil the fun! Now be a good girl and let me watch the fight!"

"What is happening?"

The desperate lamia looked up at the newcomer.

"The Lilith Sisters used a trap to spray Luka with a flower's pollen to drive him insane! Look above the door!"

Mephisto looked at the flower just above the doorframe for a minute. She took a glance at both Alice and muttered under her breath. "What are the odds…"

"Huh?"

"This only should have slightly boosted the heroes. The only reason it turned them that way was because they were still affected by your aura directly… and intimately not long before."

Alice's face reddened slightly. "I just wanted to help him relieve some stress!"

Alicetromeria put more pressure on her counterpart. "Ufufufu, you should be more honest with yourself! You did it because it felt good, didn't it?"

"No, I had sex with him because I care about him!" Alice managed to free her top half slightly. "Something you don't seem to be able to understand!"

"Oh, do you really think so?"

"Why don't we ask Heinrich how it was to fuck a sociopathic Monster Lord?"

"Oh, he still doesn't know…"

"WHAT?"

"…I'm not one of these people… ufufufu…" Her laughter ended on a sinister note.

Mephisto shook her head in front of the scene. "Good grief, I don't know if you have noticed, but that monkey who is working for Black Alice is currently in the arena."

Both monsters reacted in surprise. Alice took the lead. "We have to help them!"

"Agreed, it is no fun if she takes them for herself."

The group prepared itself before throwing themselves into the chaos of the battlefield.

* * *

On the opposite end of the arena, a large group of monsters was progressing silently. They had entered after several of them dug a passage from outside to one of the outer wing. The guards were looking for an intrusion from outside and were caught by surprise by the small army already wandering in the halls.

They incapacitated two guards before they finally reached one of the entrances that led to the arena. It took time to convince everyone that they first had to take control of the city before doing anything to the prisoners captured. They could afford the world if they were patient.

As the arachne leader reached the door, she turned toward her followers.

"Sisters! Make sure you are ready! Soon we will step into the light! We will watch the citizens squirm in fear in front of our power! The last real obstacle is this door!" She prepared a spell to blow it open. "NO LONGER!"

Heinrich, Luka and Sun Wukong were still attacking each other in the arena. The heroes were covered in wounds while their armors were starting to fall apart. Nevertheless, they were still putting all their might in their fevered strikes. Sun Wukong herself had some difficulties tanking the attacks. While her natural resistance and skills allowed her to take most damages without troubles, the repeated use of holy attacks by the two heroes had started taking their toll on her.

"I've never had so much fun since I came back!"

She noticed the arrival of a trio of newcomers. A lamia and two magi were entering the arena through a door.

"Don't come disturb my fun!"

She disappeared into a puff of smoke before reappearing right afterwards. The next second, a copy of her jumped at the new trio.

"Now this is fair again!"

An elemental arrow exploded right near the head of her copy, knocking her down and interrupting her attack. She had difficulty finding the source of the shot for a moment, and separated herself from the current melee, leaving the two heroes to attack each other. The copy managed to deviate a second shot that came from the royal lodge. She could eventually see Freya, the Elf Queen, sniping her copy from afar. The copy fell dead and disappeared.

"Get in the arena! You coward!"

She turned back to the two heroes who were still attacking each other in their frenzy. Heinrich tried slashing at Luka's neck, but the latter ducked under his guard and thrust his sword at his ancestor's chest. Heinrich groaned as the attack wounded him, and stroke at his opponent's back with the pommel of his sword. Luka fell on the ground, but before Heinrich could finish him once and for all, Luka swinged his sword in the air, creating a wave of ice shards that destabilized him.

The announcer was going crazy. "The advisor is intervening as the fight is turning into the greatest chaos! Ladies and gentlemen, we may be assisting to-"

She was suddenly interrupted by an explosion coming from where Heinrich had entered. A small army of monsters poured into the arena. They poured from the door and tried to surround the fight, and several skirmishes started as the one further away were attacked by the trio of magi at the opposing end. The arachne commanding them walked straight at the duo who was still fighting.

"Humans and traitors! We are the ones you oppressed during your travelling. We are here to take this city and our vengeance against you!" The public barely reacted to her announcement.

"And we will start by killing those so called heroes!" She pointed at them. "You! Come face us if you dare!" After a few seconds, she realized the heroes were still attacking each other, ignoring her. At the same moment, the announcer's voice awkwardly made a statement.

Sun Wukong disappeared once more in a cloud of smoke, and reappeared with two more copies of herself. One charged at the arriving monsters, while the other one disappeared. She eventually resumed fighting the two other heroes.

"Are we actually under attack? Hang on… I got the order to tell any civilian to evacuate the arena through the west wing! Every combat ready soldier and monster is to help with the situation!"

* * *

"Omega Blaze!"

Alice incinerated several monsters. She barely had gotten over the shock of seeing the town getting invaded once again. She wondered if it was another assassination attempt by someone wanting to end the true Monster Lord's bloodline once and for all, but realized it wasn't the case when one of them made the group's intention clear. So far, no invader managed to reach the small party, but their numbers could prove problematic. Alicetromeria and Mephisto were also chaining spells after spells to break the tide that seemed to endlessly pour from the opposite end of the arena. Periodically, a bolt exploded near them, but Mephisto was keeping a magical barrier up.

"We have to take down their leader fast!"

Mephisto pointed toward the arachne leading the assault.

"I think it is the one who announced their intention."

Alice tried shook her head as she summoned a shockwave to eliminate several enemy harpies.

"No, there's no way someone would be so dumb as to make herself vulnerable when she's a keystone component."

As if to prove her point, she pointed to Lucretia, the queen harpy, and several of her followers who were engaging the enemy in the sky. The queen was standing back, casting dances after dances to encourage and support her kin, occasionally sending a blade of wind to prevent her forces from being overwhelmed.

"It would require a total lack of the most basic strategy." Alice took a break from her session of spell casting as she took a look at the battle happening in front of her, as several enemy monsters were lying wounded in the middle of their own lines. "They have no archers, way too few spell casters, and no dedicated healer. They also didn't use the other entrances and block themselves, and last, they're not even trying to exploit their number to surround us."

"They apparently have no plan beyond rushing the heroes to kill them and hoping everyone surrenders right afterwards."

Alice sighed and cast a dance to protect the party from physical attacks. "You're right, they're that stupid. And she's their leader." She looked around her. There was around a few hundred of enemies. They were not tough and lacked any form of organization, but…

"I don't think I will have enough mana to deal with all of them."

Alicetromeria laughed as she cast another explosion into a group of assailiants. "Fufufu, this may be fun, but I don't think we will last all the party!"

Mephisto smirked as she summoned a rain of ice shards on top of their enemies, slowing them down. "We have allies who help us in due time, but you may still be right. Take this."

Alice took the potion offered by Mephisto. "You're always carrying around Divine Essence drugs? Are you always ready for a magical fight?"

"You would be surprised by how much preparations I put into everything now." She shielded herself from an attack and blasted the wolf girl that had aggressed her. "I am on several hit lists after all."

"In any case, I'm off to take care of her." Alicetromeria suddenly vanished.

"Wait-"

Alice tried to hold her back, but it was too late. Mephisto shrugged. "Don't worry, she'll be fine and I don't think we'll have any problem dealing with the enemies currently on the battlefield."

"JINX!"

The yoma teacher was suddenly swiped by a powerful attack from a staff. She was propelled against the wall and left a small crater upon her impact. The string of profanities that followed confirmed Alice that Mephisto would survive. It was for the best since she herself had another issue at hand.

"Ahah! You thought you could disrupt our fight! But I will not let you!" Sun Wukong was exulting. "You will pay for trying to trap me here!"

Alice swore loudly. In her current situation, she had no chance to stand alone against one of Black Alice's lieutenant.

A whip strike suddenly exploded near Sun Wukong head.

"Hey! Watch it! You could hurt someone with this!"

"Good."

Another strike exploded into a ball of lightning, knocking Sun Wukong back. Alice turned to see the Grand Noah queen and Sara coming from behind them. The princess from Sabasa had already made use of her swords, as the blood dripping from it could attest.

"Apologies for not coming earlier, we made a few unfortunate encounter on our way."

Alice smiled. "No, you're right on time." She pointed at Sun Wukong who was still recovering. "Careful, it's a copy of one of Black Alice's lieutenants."

Sara stepped forward, her swords ready. "Then let's not lose any time and get the real one."

She charged at Sun Wukong. The copy dodged her attack, and prepared to strike the princess in the back with her staff, but the queen had managed to wrap her whip around it, blocking the attack. Sun Wukong smirked and pulled the queen with her full strength. The latter exploited the opportunity to bash her opponent in the head with her shield, stunning her for a split second. Sara pushed her assault and slashed violently across her enemy's back, while Alice summoned a powerful focused bolt to support the royal's assault. The copy disappeared after a scream.

The Grand Noah queen got up and pushed back her hair behind her head.

"Was that all?"

"Not yet. Let's clean out those invaders."

* * *

The arachne leading the assault was losing patience with the situation. She hoped the heroes would weaken each other and offer her an easy victory, as those barbarians were too engrossed in their fighting to notice the invasion. However, they showed no sign of fatigue. Eventually, she pointed to another spider girl and a vampire that were following her.

"You! Kill them!"

"At your wish."

Both monsters summoned a spell. Soon, a comet crashed on the fighting heroes, and a huge spark shocked them both. The monsters were shocked to see they were still standing and trying to fight each other in spite of their wounded state and their own presence. Eventually, they cast their spell once more, concerned with the limited effectiveness the original assault had. However, their fear vanished when they saw both heroes collapse in front of them.

The two monsters started stepping closer to the heroes to confirm they were out for the count.

The arachnid turned around and shouted. "Behold! We just killed your heroes! Now surrender and we might show you mercy!"

She heard something from behind, and saw a soothing light surrounding each hero. Right afterwards, they got up and started attacking their surprised aggressors. The vampire managed to jump back and only escaped with a large notch in her stomach, but the spider wasn't so lucky and took a powerful hit in her throat. She tried putting pressure with a hand to prevent blood from flowing, but still died in a gurgle before a healer could get to her. The heroes were still deep in their rampaging frenzy, assaulting any monster that dared approach them, and sometimes even each other.

In a moment of panic, she looked around her. Her supporters were getting pushed back by the attacks that kept coming from everywhere. Those magi standing against them were wrecking her army with their spells. Archers and gunners were shooting them from the seats. Several strong monsters had jumped into the arena and were cutting through her forces with alarming ease. Harpies and angels were regularly swooping in, breaking any rallying attempt. And several enemy soldiers, humans and monsters alike, had made their way from behind, cutting their retreat. Lastly any enemies that fell was brought behind and healed in record time, to be ready to jump back into the fray once more. She started to breathe erratically as she realized her plan was completely falling apart.

Suddenly, the human mage who was wearing a green dress appeared in front of her. The newcomer had an insane expression on her face. She felt a shiver of primal terror along her spine as she started to wonder who she was actually facing. Right afterwards, she fell into catatonia as she recognized the mage's face and her signature teddy bear.

"You. Are. Dead!"

"No…"

She barely moaned in a mix of pain and despair as a pillar of fire engulfed her body. Alicetromeria twirled her staff nonchalantly as soon as her victim was fully consumed by the fire. It was now only a matter of time before her allies would die or surrender.

* * *

Sun Wukong was having difficulty dealing with the harpies that were harassing her. They were coming from all the directions in coordinated hit and run attacks that were guided by their queen, who was using her skills to support and buff them. Her copies were all taken down as soon as she created one, and she was also suffering from the exhaustions and the multiple small wounds on her body. She eventually devised a plan to escape. She used her staff to propel herself at the harpy queen. The latter graciously evaded her, but Sun Wukong magically extended her staff to strike her mid air. The harpies stopped their assault as they shifted their focus toward helping their queen, allowing the Monkey Queen to escape in a large puff of smoke.

"I can't stay here! See ya!"

She managed to leave the arena, grinning in happiness. She hoped Black Alice wouldn't hold it against her...

Bah! It was all for fun, after all!

* * *

Even after the assault died down, the heroes were back to attacking each other in an endless series of powerful strikes. Their equipment was in tatter, but they were still focused on eliminating each other. Even after having been incapacitated once, their frenzy had not diminished. Their swords kept clinging against each other as they chained skills after skills at an impressive speed.

"Gnome!"

"Undine!"

Luka attacked with the might of an avalanche, but Heinrich managed to graciously dodge the attack. Before his opponent could throw a counter, however, Luka finally changed his strategy.

"Dispel!"

Heinrich's sudden loss of connection with the flow of the world destabilized him. Luka punched him square in the chest. As what remained of his armor could no longer effectively protect him, Heinrich keeled over and fell on the ground, having difficulties to catch his breath. Luka raised his sword in a final attack that would take his ancestor's life and get him victorious once and for all…

"GLANCE ARD!"

Luka staggered back while Heinrich passed out. The next second a blue blur filled his field of vision as Morrigan was attacking him, preventing him to actually kill Heinrich. The succubus had an unusual look of determination burning in her eyes. She started slashing at lightning speed at the hero, pushing him back. She had a definitive advantage, as she was still fresh and fully focused while the hero was starting to actually suffer from exhaustion and was still in a berserk state.

"Sylph!"

The hero tried to counter attack, but even with the support of the Wind Spirit, he could barely match her assaults.

"World Ending Slash!"

"Heavenly Strike!"

As the mix of energy exploded, both fighters found themselves without weapon as they lost their grip on their sword. They were still ready to fight however.

"Salamander!"

"Bad pick."

Direct martial art was not her style, but as a succubus, she still had enough skills to take down an opponent while unarmed. She jumped toward him while extending her tail toward his leg. Once she was close enough, she grabbed him and used her inertia to attach herself on his back and making him fall backward. She fastened her legs around his waist to prevent him from shaking her off.

"Next time, learn to fight without your sword!"

She used her kinetic aura to stimulate his whole body before he could break free, but held back to avoid killing him. She stopped as soon as she felt Critical Ecstasy taking effect in is body, and enjoyed seeing a damp spot forming on his crotch area. She pushed him away from her when he completely stopped struggling. She sneered as she got up.

"Get on my level, scrub."

She looked at both incapacitated heroes and grabbed her sword back. Mephisto was carefully approaching her, but she looked more fearful and concerned than outright hostile. The succubus gestured toward the two heroes, inviting the healers to do their work and bring the wounded to a more fitting place.

She took a glance around the arena. Sun Wukong was nowhere to be seen, and the few remaining monsters that had attacked the arena had surrendered. They had already lost morale when their lord was annihilated by Alicetromeria, and getting outclassed by the other residents of the Pocket Castle finished breaking them. They were brought away to get interrogated, but it was clear that they wouldn't tell much more than what their leader screamed at the top of her lungs when she entered. Eventually, only Alice, Morrigan, the Grand Noah queen and Mephisto were present in the arena. The succubus looked at the other member of the party.

"You owe me. You ALL owe me on that one."


	26. Story 26: Succubi looking for heroes

Luka awakened into a white room, lying in a bed. His head was spinning, while his body was painful and heavy. He was covered in bandages and could barely remember what happened for a while. He shifted around in hope of lessening the pain, but nothing seems to work.

"You're awake."

He looked at his side and saw a concerned Alice. She had her arms crossed, and didn't seem particularly distraught. Good, at least is predicament wasn't catastrophic…

"What happened?"

"Well, the Lilith Sisters had prepared a trap to poison you when you entered the arena, before you started fighting Heinrich. You attacked each other like madmen, and then, in the middle of your fight… You remember Sun Wukong?"

"That monkey we saw in the Demon Cow Queen castle?"

"Herself. She randomly decided to intervene in the fight between you and Heinrich, which created a three way battle between you, him, and her."

Luka repositioned his pillow. "What a mess. Attacked by one of Black Alice's lieutenant when I fight my idol. Can't get messier than that."

Alice cringed. "Actually, it got worse." Luka looked at her in confusion. "A group of monsters infiltrated the coliseum and joined the fray. Apparently, they included some monsters we fought who were now out for revenge. We managed to beat them back easily. In the confusion, Morrigan arrived and incapacitated you when you were about to kill Heinrich."

"…Morrigan saved Heinrich? From me?"

Alice slowly nodded.

The hero pushed a lamenting cry. "I can't believe it. We're indebted to Morrigan. For saving Heinrich from me. We owe her a favor because her sisters poisoned us. How-. What-. WHY?"

"Mephisto made it clear that Morrigan could not be held responsible for the actions of her sisters, and that we're thankful to her to have prevented a tragic death, but also that we are a bit wary of their antics. She will have to get her favor approved by you, Sonya, and Mephisto herself, and as such, she won't be able to push her luck." Alice shivered. "She said it was not a problem, and that she'd still find a way to make it worth her while. In the meantime, she's back to residing at the Pocket Castle, Mephisto pretty much gave up on teaching her manners." She shivered again. "It took a lot of convincing to keep her away from this room and Heinrich's. She said she wanted to be a better succubus, but... nobody is buying it for the moment."

Luka scrambled around on his bed. "Why couldn't it have been Heinrich and me getting her indebted to one of us. And where is he, by the way?"

"He's in the room next door. Pretty much in the same status as you. " Alice sighed. "Alicetromeria is with him right now, she's filling him on what happened while foregoing the most awkward details." She cringed. "We managed to conceal Sonya's true nature to herself for several months, I don't think forgetting a little detail on what happened will be a problem."

The hero tried to sit straight, but collapsed after barely a second.

"I feel like every one of my limbs got broken, glued back on, broken again, then healed for good."

"That's… pretty much what happened during the fight."

Luka groaned "So much for being a hero. At least all of this is over. I can't forget it fast enough."

Alice grimaced once again. "You still have your fight with Alma Elma for the final."

Luka exclaimed himself in surprise, and needed several seconds before he could form a coherent sentence. "What? It isn't cancelled after this mess? Wait, how did they even choose me as a winner in the first place? Nobody won anything on that one!"

She looked at the dumbfounded hero. "Heinrich called in quit, saying this is not his era to shine, and that he acknowledges you as the one who is more powerful. Nobody wants to contradict a legendary hero. Alma Elma also intervened and said she was fine as long as she got to publicly humiliate a hero." Alice chuckled darkly. "The queen shares her regret. But, as she said, even if it was the end of the world, the coliseum had to remain open, or everyone would raise hell through Grand Noah. The fight has been moved by a day to let you recover, but…"

Luka pulled up a pillow over his head. "This is a nightmare." His voice continued, albeit muffled. "Wake me up when the world ends."

Someone knocked at the door. Alice pinched the bridge of her nose as her sense already picked on the nature of the newcomer. "What is it Alma?"

By the time the door was opened, the succubus queen was already straddling the sheets covering Luka's form."

"Luka boooooooy-"

The hero grumbled, his head still covered by the pillow. "Damn it, Alma, I'm really not in the mood right now."

The succubus took a falsely disappointed expression. "Dawww…" She shifted her hips a few times on top of the bed. "…And if I do this?"

Luka threw the pillow at the succubus. "Hey! That was mean!" She smiled devilishly. "Or… do you want to play it rough?"

"I am trying to rest here! Didn't you see how my fight turned out? I feel like you're going to shatter my pelvis at this rate!"

"Oh I wasn't there. Mephisto had me sent on an errand because she was afraid I would influence the fight and try to make it more _entertaining_… For a certain fringe of fans that is." She raised her hand to her mouth. "And besides, I can feel you getting all excited under this cover… Don't you want to have fun with me?"

Luka gave Alice a pleading look. The latter decided to step up to her (theoretical) subordinate.

"Alma Elma. You should leave Luka alone."

"Oooh, is it an order?"

"No, just a few facts." Alice looked at the succubus queen, straight in her eyes. "If you exhaust Luka now, your fight will be either pushed back, or he will not live up to your standard. Do you want people to say the Succubus queen is a coward who exploited the hero when he was weakened? Or do you want them to watch your sexual skills in awe as you dominate him?"

Alma Elma pondered the situation for a few minutes. Luka was still waiting for his fate under her.

"Mmmh, you're right. I will wait for this moment. I want to be sure everyone see the hero giving in to me." She got up and exaggeratingly swayed her hips as she made her way to the door. She blew a kiss to Luka just as she got out. "Until then, keep yourself for me!"

The duo sighed in relief as soon as the succubus queen closed the door.

"Sorry Luka, I only delayed her for a while."

The hero was still lying, looking at the ceiling. "Why do they all want to suck me dry…" He turned toward Alice. "Still, thank you Alice, at least I'll have time to recover until then."

Alice smiled warmly. "You're welcome." She climbed on his bed. "And besides, I'm already here to keep you company."

Luka exhaled loudly in despair. Alice coiled around him, but apparently didn't want to go any further. Oh, well, he could at least enjoy some warmth.

* * *

A few days later, the final match of the Coliseum finally happened. Luka faced Alma Elma for the third time. And for the third time, the hero was victorious over the succubus queen, as the latter was focused on violating the hero directly, and had foregone the use of any other skill. Her single minded strategy had cost her the victory, as the hero had no difficulty attacking her each time she came in range to try having her way with him. In the end, Luka was to be crowned the undisputed champion of the coliseum at an upcoming ceremony.

At the end of the event, while the population at large was reassured by the hero's prowess, the resentment against monsters had barely decreased. The sudden intervention of a group of wild monsters did not do any good toward mending the relationships between the two groups. Even if they proved no trouble for the residents of the Pocket Castle, the harm was done. The fact that they just spontaneously decided to attack the coliseum and were not driven by another group made the situation worse, as it was taken for the proof that monsters at large where chaotic, evil, selfish rapists.

The council that organized the events was not fully happy with the result, and regretted that Alicetromeria had basically nuked their leader. If the latter was still alive, she could have been able to personally apologize and help the situation move forward that way, but her death only had left a few survivors who were at a complete loss over the situation. They were placed in custody with the intent to protect them from the population's anger.

Eventually, the closing ceremony was carried out. Luka was acclaimed in front of everyone as the hero who would save the world from the Monster Lord's mad schemes. The hero felt awkward as he knew the truth, but thinking deep down that revealing it could only worsen the situation, he had wisely chosen to remain silent in front of the crowd. He was awarded by Freya and the Grand Noah Queen with a cup that was specifically crafted for the occasion: Several different figures of humans and monsters from different species were supporting a bowl that seemed to always smoke. It was supposed to represent the ability of the world to carry the future by being united, but the message was barely acknowledged by the population.

Heinrich was in the back row when the ceremony happened. A part of him wanted to step forward and to congratulate Luka, but another wanted to scold him for his desire to get as close to monsters as possible. Eventually, he found himself unable to walk toward his great grandchild. As the population cheered his descendant once more, he silently stepped away, unnoticed.

He wordlessly made his way to the tavern. Once he arrived, he silently sat down with a drink in the midst of passed out people. The stench was unbearable for anyone with a sensitive nose, but the legendary hero had too many things on his mind to care. Alicetromeria had explained him that they were drugged in a frenzy before the fight by some ill natured monsters, and then that several monsters, including one of Black Alice's lieutenant had tried to kill them before they were eventually saved by Alicetromeria herself and Morrigan, somehow. Then, she disappeared before the ceremony because she had "a few things to fetch back home."

* * *

Hours passed and the sun left to make way for the night. Heinrich didn't notice the door opening to let enter a hooded figure. He was too deep in contemplation in front of his drink to really care. He looked up as he felt a shiver ran down his spine. At that precise second, several questions and emotions mixed in his mind: that person had stood her for several seconds, she was definitively surprised to see him here, she was definitively a she, she was definitively dangerous. He fell unconscious in a split second as her fist connected with his temple several times.

Lilith rapidly put on her cloak as she heard someone knock on the door hurriedly. As soon as she opened, she was greeted by a dazed Heinrich. He was held upright and magically restrained and gagged.

"Ta daaa! Look what I found in the tavern!" Astaroth stepped in the room with her prize.

"Oooh, nice! We finally manage to get a hero! Nobody did see you?" Lilith closed the door as soon as her sister stepped in and got rid of her coat.

"No, everybody is focused on Luka right now." She threw him on the bed as he was starting to awaken. "Sooo… Who shall go first?"

"Please, you are the one who brought him in." Lilith started wallowing on a chair. "Besides, don't you want him now when he's so full of energy, ready to resist? I will have my way with him after, when he will need a tender big sister to sooth him."

"Mmmh?!"

"Great! Thank you!"

Heinrich's binding suddenly disappeared. Before he could do anything, however, Astaroth had jumped on top of him and started taking his armor apart in frenzy. The hero was trying to resist, but had difficulties because of pheromones that were starting to take hold in his mind. The succubus stopped midway, and repeatedly sniffed at the hero's neck.

"Wait… There's something unusual about his scent."

Lilith shrugged. "He's Luka ancestor, it's to be expected."

"That's not it… I can't tell if he had sex with Black Alice or not…"

"MMH?!"

"Ah, never mind, let's get started!"

Astaroth resumed her stripping of the hero, with the latter desperately struggling to prevent getting molested. He was done to his undies when the red haired succubus stopped to lick her lips.

"Oooh, you're getting excited! This is going to be a feast!"

Someone knocked on the door from outside. Both sisters looked at the door. Astaroth was just annoyed by the interruption, but Lilith was looking concerned. She got up of her seat with a prepared spell as she made her way to the door.

"There's no room service at this hour. It's Black Al-"

The door suddenly exploded inward, throwing Lilith back in the room. Astaroth got up and tried to jump at the intruder with her fist raised, but got knocked back by a huge purple tentacle. Before she could react, it wrapped around her waist and started draining her energy. She imbued her fist with ice and struck the offending appendage repeatedly until it shattered.

Alicetromeria slithered in. Her lower half was transformed in her monstrous form, and her smile was more insane than usual.

"Good evening ladies. It appears you might have taken something from me that I hold dearly to have your fun at our expenses." She took a look at Heinrich who was conveniently unconscious in his underwear. She proceeded to cast a shield on him. "I made sure the inn was empty, and then locked it so that nobody could hear or see what happens inside and I-." The red haired succubus lunged at Black Alice once more and got blasted back by a small nova for her trouble. "Didn't your mother teach you it was rude to interrupt people? Succubi can be so brash sometimes…" Her tone was the one of a mother scolding a child. "Where were we… Oh, yes, no witness, no risks, I have no reason to hold back." She deployed more tentacles while preparing several spells.

Astaroth and Lilith looked at each other. They hadn't brought in their best equipment when they came to Grand Noah, and the enclosed space did cut off any perk their mobility would offer. Dissipating the shield put into place around the inn would be impossible with Black Alice attacking them. Their chances were not looking good.

Alicetromeria gradually filled the space available in the room with her tentacles. Spells started flying from both sides, blades of wind met supernatural thunderbolts while the Monster Lord relentlessly progressed toward the succubi.

"Kaiser Phoenix!"

A huge wave of fire blasted the succubi and every room in the inn. A powerful explosion shook the place, as the sudden heat violently ignited all the alcohol present in the inn. The shield surrounding the inn slowly dissipated as it contained the power, but nothing had escaped the area affected.

Lilith swore under her breath. How much spirits did those idiotic humans stocked in this place to create that explosion? The purple haired succubus looked around her. Her sweater was torn apart, exposing her to the elements. She could feel the wind, but she was too weakened to call on its power anymore. Worse, she saw Black Alice had managed to shield herself and was now smiling at her.

"Curse!"

Lilith felt a wave of pain take her. She could no longer cast any of her spell. She started crawling toward Astaroth. Her sister was lying on her back, unconscious but alive. They'd need more than that to kill the Lilith Sisters. Still, she could hear the psychopathic Monster Lord slither slowly behind her, a predator enjoying her prey trying to escape before the final strike. The irony of her situation didn't escape her as she kept trying to escape. Maybe she should show more mercy for her next victim. A few harpy feathers randomly whirled in front of her. Not wanting to push her luck, she grabbed her sister and used one to get back to the castle. As they disappeared, Alicetromeria grabbed back her teddy bear with a tentacle.

"It was a good idea to let them escape, wasn't it Beary? It is better if they're staying alive for now, it will be funnier when we will meet them again to play more. Ufufufu."

She looked around her. She started mumbling for herself.

"Now, let's clean everything quickly… I'm a good girl, I tidy up when playtime is over. Ufufufu…"


	27. Story 27: A friendly tea party

A week had passed since the tournament's ending. Most people already had moved back to their daily live, slightly less fearful of what their world would face in the future after Luka's display at the arena. A few were still afraid, particularly after a powerful fire destroyed an inn. A few voices tried to pin the blame on one of the fire monster living with him, but between the power the latter group had and the massive presence of alcohol in the inn's basement (and in its dwellers), the cause was considered accidental. Luka's army went back to the Pocket Castle, either to rest or to train furthermore. Grand Noah itself resumed its daily activity soon enough.

This day, however, the Pocket Castle's library was curiously empty. Everybody avoided the place as if it was the cursed den of a terrorizing beast. Most residents of the Pocket Castle would have told you it was probably true, as Alicetromeria, also known as "totally-not-Black-Alice" was holding a tea party in the library's study room. Why she did chose this place instead of any of the more accomodating room was unexplained, but she invited Spider Princess, and the latter strongly suggested holding their little party there. The yoma also invited: Fatima, the vampire queen, Cassandra, the leader of Lady Village, Promestein, Morrigan, Mephisto and Elizabeth, a slug that had the traits of a yoma thanks to the angel scientist's handiwork. In front of this assembly, monsters and humans that usually lounged there preferred strolling in less dangerous rooms within their home base, or decided to explore another library. Anything was better than remaining around, even if you were already dead.

The group had settled around a table with tea brought from Yamatai. The atmosphere was cordial, as the air was filled with chatter from the monsters smiling around the table. They were discussing equipments and curios, the tournament, the latest gossips, and, of course, their favorite activity.

"I am telling you!" Spider Princess's voice was booming enthusiastically. "There is nothing better than this moment when you're done having sex with someone, and he realizes you are going to eat him. You get to enjoy his expression of sheer terror as you slowly drag him inside for his final moments."

Morrigan directly gulped a large quantity of tea, grimacing as she almost burned her tongue. "Naaah, eating them takes too much time, and besides, not everybody can do it!" She grinned. "But pleasuring them through magic, having them beg you to stop as they keep shooting their white stuff over and over again, that's the best way to do it! And if you get tired of it because they can't shut up…" She snapped her fingers, producing a small bright flash. "Done! You no longer have to deal with their supplications!"

"Finishing your partner so fast is so… unrefined!" Fatima was petting Tama distractedly. The nekomata had decided to sit on the vampire queen's lap, and enjoyed the attention of its temporary mistress. "You have to draw it out slowly, make them beg to end their life in exchange of a little more pleasure. This is when you know you have dominated a male fully."

"But you must admit…" Elizabeth blew over her tea to cool the hot liquid. "Eating your partner as he is begging you to stop is an exhilarating experience when it comes to domination. He can scream and beg as much as he wants, it doesn't matter, you're the one in control."

"Oh yes, it is so fun to hear them scream! Ufufufu…" Black Alice laughed sinisterly. "Even during my time with Heinrich, I always made the effort to find the time to make someone scream. And not only humans, but monsters too…" She took a look at Morrigan, who suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

Mephisto shook her head. "I don't enjoy making them suffer, or even dominating them." She shrugged. "I only devour them when they mean trouble, otherwise, I feel like the time I give them is just wasted."

Morrigan laughed. "Didn't you restrain Luka and used him as an experiment for your students?"

The yoma teacher kept her cool, even if the succubus was already grating her nerves by simply reminding her she had failed to teach her anything. "Good grief, that was purely educational. Even if this is genetically ingrained, giving the young one an opportunity to practice their sexual skill is a good way to ensure they stay in control and do not get carried away when dealing with a weakened partner. The last thing you want is a tragedy of impulsiveness."

The succubus froze up. Mephisto had definitely mastered the art of getting under people's skin. Maybe she should get Sonya's support to teach the yoma a lesson…

"Fufufu, it's good for the little ones to learn to have fun properly." Alicetromeria stared at Mephisto. "After all, you wouldn't want to turn them into old hags that disregard anything enjoyable because it could _disturb_ them."

Morrigan smirked. Mephisto had tried to keep her reaction hidden, but the succubus could clearly see that a nerve had been hit hard. She'd have to thank Not Black Alice later for that one. However, someone else sided with the teacher…

"I do understand that she doesn't want to spend as much time as you on it though, not everyone is a demon living on sex." Everybody had almost forgotten the silent angel scientist, who was still reading a book while stirring her tea. "It takes time over your work, and it doesn't require using intelligence, only your lower muscles."

The vampire queen sneered. "Mph. It looked like someone never enjoyed the occasion of dominating a partner in a bedchamber. Maybe you should find yourself a moment to get intimate with someone to the point he would give up his life for the sake of being in your company longer, even for a bit." She looked around her haughtily. "Elizabeth, get me the sugar."

Elizabeth sighed. "For the fifth time, I am NOT your right hand."

Fatima dismissed the remark. "Then maybe you should consider changing your name. What is it with nobles naming themselves Elizabeth anyway…"

The slug girl snarled at the vampire queen, but the latter had already moved on.

Mephisto sipped her drink. "Does anyone happen to have news from Hellgondo? My usual contacts recently went silent."

"I cannot seem to get a hold of what is happening there either." Fatima turned toward Morrigan. "But I remember one of us still has family there?"

"I didn't get any new from my sisters if that's what you mean. They didn't even answer my message three days ago. I hope nothing bad happened to them."

"Oh, yes, that would be a shame, ufufufu…"

Morrigan looked warily at the disguised yoma for a moment, before she dismissed the idea. Her sisters wouldn't have had any trouble dealing with her if it came to this. Even if she was an infamous Monster Lord, "Alicetromeria" had forced herself to follow a set of rules that put her at disadvantage.

Spider Princess snapped her finger as if a realization hit her.

"Oh, I have a guest that is coming from afar that could give us news on the matter."

"Ufufufu, really?"

"Yes, let me call for her!"

Spider Princess grabbed on a string that seemed to be randomly dangling near her seat.

As soon as she pulled it, a large item crashed from the ceiling on the table, spreading dust everywhere. The monsters jumped back, worried that the roof might have been falling apart, while Promestein fell from her chair. Tama jumped on the vampire queen's face all claws out, earning itself a few insulting nicknames in a record lapse of time. The cloaked monster managed to throw her away from her after a few seconds of struggle, and the nekomata hid herself behind Mephisto.

As the dust settled, everybody was staring at the item, save for Promestein who was looking on the ground for her glasses. It looked like a human size boulder made from thread. The string itself seemed to glow, as if it had been magically enchanted. At one end a red cat like head seemed to prod from it. Upon closer examination, they realized the ears were definitely those of a fox. The kitsune was bound up to the neck and gagged by several layers of thread. As Alicetromeria was in front of it, she was the first to recognize the victim lodged inside the cocoon.

"Yao? How delightful of you to join our little tea party! I would offer you a drink, but you seem a little bound for the moment."

The kitsune looked at the disguised yoma upon hearing her name. She looked more annoyed than actually afraid. The other monsters were starting to gossip about the kitsune's presence and what it meant. Mephisto clapped her hands twice to get everyone's attention.

"Come on everyone, let's get back to our seating. The tea will end up stone cold before long."

Instinctively, the other monsters went back to their respective places. They moved their position slightly so that everyone could see Yao's face.

Promestein got back on her chair and dusted her coat after having finally found her glasses. "I didn't see her before. Where did you find her?"

Spider Princess sipped a little of her tea. "Oh, I heard the other kitsunes talking about her. So I decided to put a few traps around potential hiding spots. Morrigan helped me enchant the thread with her aura to incapacitate anyone caught inside. We ended up catching her in this very place." She flashed an evil grin. "It was easier for the surprise to get everyone there than to move her unnoticed."

Fatima pointed an accusing finger at the arachne. "So you are the reason we cannot fly around in the castle? We keep being entangled in your web each time we try to stretch our wings!"

"Ha, but you have to admit such a minor inconvenience is nothing compared to the fact we managed to catch one of the Monster Lord's more powerful spy!"

Mephisto clicked her tongue as she put back her cup on the table. "Even if we managed to catch her without trouble, her presence in the castle is still worrying."

Mephisto pulled out her wand and started fiddling with it, which earned her a glare from Morrigan. Didn't the yoma know how her nervous habit was annoying? The succubus's train of thought was soon interrupted by Fatima's aggravating laugh.

"Ohohoh! Do you really think such a silly fox could be dangerous to us? Why would we even get worried by one of the Heavenly Clown's lapdogs?"

The yoma pointed her weapon at Yao like a teacher would.

"She did manage to intrude in a privately owned Pocket Dimension without being detected. She also apparently has been around for several days. Maybe we should at least consider warning Luka about that." She closed her eyes. "Furthermore, she's Tamamo's first and most trusted lieutenant, and a resident of the Monster Lord's castle. She came here either because the kitsune queen gave her the order, or either because her mistress is in a difficult situation that requires help. Both situations could be extremely concerning, and we do need to know more in either case."

Promestein pushed back her glasses on her nose. "Logic dictates that we should gather as much information as possible first. As such, I suggest interrogating her."

Fatima tapped her chin with a finger. "Indeed, we will have to make sure she tells us everything we need to know, and getting her to answer might require some skills that the hero would disapprove. Having him aware of our guest would complicate their use."

Spider Princess was looking enthusiastic at this perspective. "You're right, Luka won't mind us indulging in her if he doesn't know of her presence. We are free to do with her as we wish." She shivered in delight as she ended her sentence.

Promestein looked at the princess as if the latter was an idiot. "This is exactly the opposite of what we want, only an idiot would kill her without finding out what her presence here entails." Spider princess started to scowl in front of the scientist's insolence. "Besides, she's not a toy for someone who is too weak to exercise any power on someone who can fight back."

Before the arachne could throw a scathing answer, Alicetromeria raised her voice. "Don't be a buzzkill!" She got closer to Yao. The bound fox didn't react to the movement. "We are going to have a big tea party with our guest, and it will be a looooooooong one."

Upon hearing this, Morrigan almost jumped from her chair. "NO! We should remain civil to our guest and let her leave freely! We should apologize and maybe even offer her some tea!"

Everybody was dumbfounded by the declaration coming from the succubus. Was it the same legend who took glee while slaughtering Luddite Village? Suddenly hearing Tama talking would be less surprising.

Her eyes still opened wide, Elizabeth finally decided to break the silence. "Is this… really your wish?"

The succubus slammed her fist repeatedly on the table in a fit of maniacal laughter, startling the nekomata who ran out of the library. "Pfff, nah! I was joking of course! You should have seen your faces! That was too funny too pass up! Of course we will torture her!"

Her eyes started to sparkle with sadistic glee as her hands covered themselves with her aura on cue. "I will do it myself. Just give me a little time to violate her, they always yield after five minutes. You can watch if you want!"

Mephisto sighed. She definitely failed in her attempts to change the succubus for the better. This failures was unsurprising considering that, in spite of her childish appearance, she was several thousand years older than anyone at the table. She had no chance to change her from the start.

Spider Princess intervened. "No, no, you are skilled when it comes to making people scream in that perfect mix of pleasure and agony, but I noticed you are not enough personal in your dealings. This kind of work is more effective if you act close and intimate to your subject. This is easier to do if you have a particular and specific reason to do this and not just mere sadism."

She smiled sadistically as she looked at Yao. "And I have one bone to pick with the fox kin after they kicked me from Yamatai under the pretense that I was _too dangerous for the population_. I may even consider devouring her whole after that. Just like old times."

Fatima made a dismissive gesture toward the fox on the table. "Please, do as you want, but I find it improper for royalty to lower itself in dealing with rabble by using torture. I will pass on indulging myself on our prisoner."

She scoffed. "Besides, it would be unbecoming of me to feed on a dog."

Cassandra licked her lips. "I wouldn't mind also making her my next meal. I am afraid I would fall back into this bad habit, but it has been so long since I have not enjoyed someone tortured expression as I slowly digest them alive."

Mephisto pinched the bridge of her nose. "What did Promestein said five minutes ago?"

Alicetromeria inched her face a little closer again, nearly touching the kitsune. "Oh,the hag is right, it would not be fun if she was to die! Teaching bad people lessons on how to behave is so fun!" She moved back while still looking at the monster stuck on the table. "Didn't your mother tell you how to behave? It is quite rude to enter in people's house uninvited, after all. You're a bad lady." She proceeded to look at everyone around. "We should play with her and train her until she conducts herself correctly in the presence of royalty!"

The bound kitsune was looking at Mephisto. There was neither fear nor anger in her expression, only a mix of shame and contempt with a hint of concern. The yoma could clearly read the prisonner's jaded eyes telling her_ "I actually just want to discuss a serious matter, you are the only one reasonable at the table, so please ungag me before they decide to do something stupid everybody will regret."_

"I don't think that will be necessary."

Mephisto carefully removed the enchanted gagging on Yao. The fox smiled at the yoma.

"Thank you for allowing me to talk, although I wish you would have been a more accommodating host. Your little plans for me would have brought more trouble than what you would have gotten, as I would have gladly told you the reasons of my presence."

Morrigan nearly shoved her smiling face into the kitsune's."Those are big words coming from a spy."

Yao moved as if she shrugged, which was hard to tell as she was still cocooned by a casket of silk. Mephisto decided to take back control of the situation before anything more could go wrong. "In that case, do you care to explain the reason of your unwarranted presence within the castle's wall? I do not remember Luka inviting, and even less recruiting your person."

The kitsune smiled softly, surprising Morrigan who decided to take a step back.

"Actually, the reason I am here is because I need to see Luka. It happens we have an issue at hand with the tanuki tribe, and we wanted to ask for his help in dealing with her."

The Spider Princess smiled sarcastically. "How surprising! A faction of monsters turning on the royal advisor's race of weaklings as soon as the Monster Lord is no longer here to protect those! If only they were stronger!" She stepped up dramatically. "Or maybe you were counting on the Heavenly Knights, and those are not even able to deal with the rabble anymore?"

Yao chuckled. "Is the pest still sour from her forced departure from Yamatai? I do remember swatting her quite easily in that time. Or maybe does her memory needs refreshment?"

Spider Princess huffed. Everybody else mockingly smiled at her. Mephisto tried once more to keep the situation on track. "If you are so strong, then why do you need help, and furthermore why our?"

Yao looked falsely uncomfortable. "We have… several reasons to turn to you. First and foremost, as you said, we have limited resources. Most of the Heavenly Knights disappeared…" She turned toward Morrigan. "…and your sisters are too busy dealing with the mess the death of the Monster Lord made to care for what they consider a sideshow. They are focusing either on strengthening Hellgondo's defenses or busying themselves by acting like good little succubi. We can't really rely on them."

Mephisto sighed upon hearing the new. Even with the Garuda Girl's raw power, getting on the continent would prove a problem if the Lilith Sisters attacked them with some support. She hoped that they would be too busy to notice their infiltration attempt, but apparently, they were now on the defensive. As nobody interrupted her, Yao continued.

"The second reason is that we are not exactly on the Sister's good side anymore…"

Morrigan jumped up. "Oh, is it because of what Tamamo pulled in Grangold's castle? This world would already have been saved if, for a reason, your leader did just follow our instructions!"

The legendary succubus shoved her face in the kitsune's once more as she ended her sentence. While her predicament was only a passable issue, Yao was starting to get annoyed by those supposedly powerful monsters completely disregarding her personnal space. Her ears flattened themselves on top of her head as she sighed. "The fifteenth did follow theirs. It ended so well for her."

Merphisto could not help but smile at the kitsune's sass. She was starting to really enjoy the turn this conversation was taking. Yao continued her announcement.

"Also, the tanuki queen got a _gift_ from Black Alice."

"Fufufufufu."

"The Chaos Goddess I mean. We could have handled the situation if she didn't decide to balance the scales in her champion's favor. And I am pretty sure once she will be done with my kin, everybody else will be next on her toy list."

Mephisto nodded. "A fair assumption. I will tell Luka of your request."

"Thank you, now if you would be so kind as to free me so that I can inform Tamamo… I am sure she will be overjoyed when he will come help us."

Promestein muttered under her breath. "If he accepts."

Elizabeth whispered back. "You've ever seen Luka refusing to help someone?"

However, before Mephisto could do anything, Morrigan stepped forward and readied her aura again. "Oh, no, no, no! Don't think that will be that easy! You still didn't tell us how you got in and why WE would actually help you!"

Yao smirked. "It is simple. My mistress happened to be the one who created the castle we are currently in. She taught me hidden paths to get in." Her smirk grew, revealing her razor sharp teeth. "It is the same situation for the Monster Lord's castle, and I can easily conceal our entrance in Hellgondo should you use the Garuda girl."

"Pfff, like we would actually need help for that! I'll just have to ask my sisters when I tell them we captured you traitor, and we'll have a red carpet ready for us in no time!" She was beaming with pride. "Besides, they owe me after that little incident at the coliseum."

Promestein stepped forward. "Actually I think we will need Yao's help on this one."

"Oh, because little miss scientist knows my own sisters better than I do?"

"No, I only base my analysis on what I studied from monsters. Even amongst your own kin, you only acknowledge someone if his or her strength is worthy of consideration. As a consequence, the more powerful ones repeatedly test their subordinates to see if they cans serve them well, and it is pretty clear your sisters consider Luka a potential one as they keep facing him, as well as whoever is with him at the time. They want know more than ever to gauge his team's strength, and now that you are on his team and weakened… I don't think your help for that little incident will compensate"

After a second, Morrigan deflated. "Fuuuuuck…"

Mephisto chuckled. "Welcome to our lot. We hope you enjoy the perspective of facing the Monster Lord forces repeatedly. Please keep our plan hidden from your sisters."

The succubus grumbled. "I will."

Fatima roused herself from her seat menacingly. "And what guarantee do we have that this little fox will not betray us at a critical moment." She eyed the fox haughtily. "Do you offer yourself as collateral?"

Yao smiled. "Actually you will need me to guide you once there. And may I ask you for whom I may betray you?"

The vampire queen nodded. "A fair point. In that case, I accept your offer!"

"I still need to see the hero myself. Mistress Tamamo was insistent on the matter."

"In that case I will personally see that you get to meet Luka yourself." Mephisto got up. "Let us free you first."

Yao chuckled. "Thank you, but that won't be necessary."

She disappeared before anyone could react. It took a second for Mephisto to realize that the kitsune did transform into a small ball, and could easily have escaped during the "tea party." She only initially acted as she did to get everyone's trust.

Yao proceeded to roll out of the cocoon before she unfurled standing on the table in front of everybody.

"The bedding is quite good, but…" She took a break in her sentence as she stretched. "The service is deplorable."

Spider Princess and Morrigan were dumbfounded, while all the other monsters were silently laughing at their companion's misfortune. As she stepped down, Yao held up a small sheet of paper toward Morrigan.

"You should learn to check for talismans before imprisoning someone."

The succubus took the talisman, still surprised by the fox escapism. Mephisto laughed darkly.

"We have one escape artist there, no wonder you managed to enter the castle."

"I answer my mistress's order." Yao looked around. "Sooo, where is Luka?"

"Oh, I remember him saying something about going in the Labyrinth of Chaos to kill Lilith and get additional masteries. I think he is in Ilias Temple right now. Ufufufufu…" She punctuated her sentence by twirling her staff.

Yao raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Mephisto shrugged. "Ah well, we'll just wait for him to come back then. I hope he will get Heinrich's ghost to teach him another hero's skill. The boy would need it."

The kitsune looked at each monster, confused. "What?"

Promestein looked down as she pulled out her notebook. "I hoped he would at least have invited me so that I can observe the transfers happening. At least I would have been able to identify how a vial full on an Ancestor's sexual fluids ended there."

Yao stared at Mephisto. "Is it some secret code, or…"

Mephisto smirked. "Long story."


	28. Story 28: A slight oversight

Yao was now leaning against a pillar near the entrance of the Pocket Castle, discussing with Mephisto and Alma Elma. The succubus queen had decided to come as soon as she saw the red fox, as she wanted to inquire about how her friend Tamamo was doing. In the meantime the yoma just wanted to get away from the tea party as Spider Princess and Alicetromeria were starting to get into a little too much detail about digesting their victims alive.

The kitsune chuckled. "Standing guard against a pillar waiting for someone… I feel like I am back at my job in the Monster Lord's castle."

"Is the situation that chaotic over there? You told us the Lilith Sisters are securing anything around Hellgondo. Nothing in, nothing out." Mephisto was antsy about the situation.

"It is a mess, everyone is panicking over the Monster Lord's death. The Lilith Sisters are trying to do everything to keep the more powerful monsters there under control while trying to prevent the rumor from spreading, but even then, it is only a matter of time before everybody is made aware. Furthermore, the sisters themselves have difficulties not indulging themselves into hedonism, and additional rumors spread that they nearly found death in one of their sessions, which made them appear weaker to the community at large. The only good new is that her death seems to have slowed the spread of chaosization, making it one less thing to worry about for now. "

Alma intervened. "I heard the Lilith Sisters talking about how she had died long ago in the true history and how they would have to deal with it sooner and later… I wonder if the Fifteenth realized that she would have been disposed of once she had outlived her usefulness."

"Anyway, it is impossible to enter the continent without every monster being warned, and I won't even talk about the Monster Lord Castle." She flashed an enigmatic smile. "For now, that is."

The main door opened. Luka entered the castle with several other monsters, with everybody looking tired after their latest serie of trial. The trio could hear some gossips about the equipment they found and the enemies they faced. Luka took notice of the stranger who was discussing with Alma Elma and Mephisto, and made his way to the group. He was soon followed by Alice, who frowned upon seeing the fox.

"Ah Luka, we have a guest that requires our help on a matter."

The kitsune bowed respectfully. "Indeed. I am Yao, Tamamo's right hand. I think you already met several times through your adventure."

Luka nodded.

"I came here to request your help on an urgent situation. The tanuki tribe recently declared war to us after a long time and peace, and threaten to wipe us out."

Alice crossed her arms under her small chest. "That would be making this world a service."

Mephisto glared at the young looking lamia while Yao ignored the underlying threat.

"As she got some power from Black Alice, we fear we may not be able to beat her back. We would require your help in dealing with this issue. In exchange, we will guarantee you the support of the kitsune race, and I will personally help you enter Hellgondo and the Monster Lord's castle."

Mephisto interrupted the group. "I want to point out that the only little intelligence that manages to filter out of Hellgondo for the moment is that they're fortifying the continent. They really don't want to be disturbed."

Luka pondered the situation for a second.

"What do you think, Alice?"

"As much as I hate kitsunes, I don't think Yao or Tamamo would betray us. They're the race that is the most loyal to the Monster Lord bloodline, and right now I'm the most fitting for the title. We're going to need any help available for storming the castle."

Luka pondered the options presented before him. Attacking Hellgondo was becoming an urgent matter, but if they rushed in, they could easily end up flaying blindly and get taken apart right after landing. Also, there was no telling what someone supported by Black Alice would do if allowed to thrive.

"We'll go help you first then. I have a bad feeling about what we will get to face inside the castle, and I'd like to get any help available."

"Thank you. I will announce the good news to Tamamo, and I will meet you there." Yao grimaced. "There is also another issue I almost forgot. There have been some conflicts around Yamatai. Apparently the Elf Princess's elite guards are currently rampaging in the countryside in search of someone."

Luka froze up. Mephisto and Alice were trying to remain composed, but were glaring at the young hero. Meanwhile, Alma Elma considered it would be funnier to fan the fire.

"Oh, did that someone wound her heart?"

Yao grimaced. "It's surprising to think she would make such a decision since she is a total shut in… If I got it right, the elf queen saw a good occasion to help her socialize, and hooked her up with someone that matched her tastes -that's surprising considering how demanding she is when it comes to men-. But anyway, they had agreed to send correspondence to each other, but he didn't answer any letter and it has already been several months…" Yao bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry to ask you this, you shouldn't have to deal with the consequences of an idiot breaking a maiden's heart, but you are the only ones strong enough to hold a candle against the princess's elite followers."

Luka was absolutely petrified by the situation. Mephisto's glare was almost burning through the hero, while Alice had balled her hand in a fist and Alma Elma was chuckling softly. Yao sniffed the air, before pointing an oversized paw at the boy, surprised.

"Wait… Don't tell me…"

"SYLPH!"

Before anyone could react, Luka was dashing at breakneck speed through the corridor toward the castle exit. He was already out, ready to use a harpy feather when the group finally started to give him chase.

* * *

-Ilias Temple-

"Greetings, hero Luka, do you-NO RUNNING IN THE TEMPLE!"

Before the priest could react, however, the hero had already run upstairs toward the door to Hades. As soon as he reached it, he teleported to a place that had become all too familiar. He found himself surrounded by projections of his past opponents, on twisted paths of dirt amidst an endless space. He stepped toward the incarnation of Death that was standing in the middle of the area, with only one wish on his lips.

"I want to restart my adventure again!"

Reaper raised an eyebrow in front of the panting hero.

"Are you absolutely sure about that?"

"YES!"

"Dang! It looks like we both lost!"

The White Rabbit suddenly appeared out of thin air near Reaper.

"But I have to admit, I am surprised you waited that long this time! We expected to see you once you were done with this silly tournament!" She started dancing as she was talking in a sing song voice. "Neither Heinrich nor silly succubi stopped the hero, only his horrible, horrible behavior toward a pure maiden. Break her heart, dance on it, trample it, and VOILA!" Several bouquets of flower popped from her coat's zippers. "One guilty filled big red button push, served with a hint of raw, primordial fear!" She smiled creepily at the hero. "Is it marriage that makes you afraid? When your goal is to get a taste of every girl existing even if it cost you your life thirty times…"

"Forty-five actually."

"Then I can understand that definitive commitment is something one can be afraid of." She raised her coat, filling the area with a dark, thick mist, severely reducing the visibility. Suddenly, two spotlights lit up, pointed toward a dark, collapsed murky cake surrounded by flies. A board with the word "MARRIAGE" written in red, bloody letters was laying at the top of it. Luka was trying to keep his composure, but his shame was growing by the second.

The avatar of Death addressed the hero while trying to ignore the White Rabbit's antics.

"You will keep your current powers and start at the beginning of the adventure. Your companions will retain their power and join you in the next world. However, you should remove anything valuable from Alice. She will not necessarily be your companion in the next life. Are you prepared to begin anew?"

Luka mumbled his answer. "Yes."

"I'll ask you one more time. Do you truly wish to be reborn and start anew?"

"Yes."

"Very well… Then go."

* * *

-?-

"Where Am I?"

Luka looked around, wondering how he got in this strange place surrounded by soft light. The atmosphere felt solemn. He heard a voice calling for him.

"Luka… Hero Luka…"

She sounded gentle, full of affection. But he couldn't see its source.

"Who's there?"

Suddenly, Ilias appeared in front of a surprised Luka. He couldn't believe it.

"Are you really the creator of the world?"

"Luka… a crisis is approaching the world, if you don't stop it, the world ■■be swallowed ■■■…

"…huh ? What happened to you Ilias?"

This whole situation fell too familiar.

"With my last bit of power, ■■■to your dreams… There's no ■■■■■■■ time…

"Ilias, I don't really understand what you're saying…"

"Go immediately ■■■■■■■ out ■■■ … The world ■■■■ forget ■■■■■■■ …

"Forget? The world what? What are you trying to tell me…"

"This ■rld■■■■■ … Lu ■ … ■■■■■■■■…"

"Please wait Ilias! Don't go!"

This definitively felt too familiar.

"A dream…? "

Luka hazily got up, troubled by what happened. While he was disturbed by the vision he received from Ilias, he also had a sensation of déjà vu that he couldn't get rid of.

As soon as he stepped down, he could hear some commotion from outside.

"There's trouble! Hans the lumberjack has been abducted!"

Suddenly, Luka's memories flooded back. He remembered his adventures, what happened on the roads, his companions, the latest series of shameful events before he left in a hurry… And, more importantly, his real motivation. He would have to recruit Ilias and try to learn from her and from the seraphs how the angel world was.

He checked his equipment. He had his heavily customized sword and Excalibur, a legendary weapon he had found in the Labyrinth of Chaos. He was still wearing his legendary helmet and armor, as well as a glove that allowed to dual wield weapons.

He sighed. Although he was now powerful and geared heavily, he would still have to act as if he was on his first adventure. Following mostly the path he used to would be the best way to get sure chaos doesn't spread faster.

He stepped out of his home to see his village thrown into chaos in an all too familiar scene. His aunt Betty called out to him.

"Luka! Get back in! The guards will handle it!"

"Don't worry. I'll be fine."

Something in his tone and his body language terrified the woman, as if he had suddenly changed overnight. She was no longer scared for Luka, but for the slimes that would get in his way.

She barely mumbled. "Be careful."

Luka smiled and stepped out of the village. This quest was the first of a long list of heroic deeds that would forge his legend. Once outside, he took a break to consider what would happen next. Feelings mixed in his stomach as he realized he had to do everything all over again. On the other end, he felt like he could actually make a difference this time, and he was surrounded by a loyal army of friends. -His thoughts wandered to the likes of Morrigan, Mephisto and Spider Princess-. Yes, "friends". He started once again to step toward Iliasville's hills.

As Saki once said, time to get the show on the road.


	29. Story 29: A necromancer's responsibility

Chrome had difficulty awakening this particular day. She felt her head spinning around, as if she had just ran into a wall. As she looked around, she recognized her familiar, messy room located in the Pocket Castle. There were still the remainders of an attempt to fuse weapons with a zombie's arms in the corner, several tools without a clear use hung above her bed, and the better part of a shelf was covered with unlabeled liquids in different bottles. As she somehow managed to get up without knocking anything, she felt something was wrong around her. She tried to find out what the issue was about, but checking her equipment proves fruitless. She ended up giving up, groaning in frustration in front of the enigma. Maybe Promestein would be able to make head and tail of something.

The little scientist made her way toward the laboratory she shared with her fellow scientists. Lily and Lucia were currently missing, while the angel scientist herself didn't look much better than her. The latter was preparing a drink, which, by the bitter smell, probably had medicinal properties. It was confirmed when Promestein took a cup of the product and drank it straight.

"Heya. How are you doing?"

Promestein didn't raise her head as she was still looking at the small installation in front of her. "Probably the same as you. I feel like that time I was in Luddite Village and had to deal with the locals."

"Do you know where everybody is?" The only other being present in the lab was Frederika, the colossal zombie created by Chrome, and she looked particularly bad even when taking into account her undead state.

"They're currently all sleeping off the travel."

"Travel? What do you mean?"

"Based on my experience, we have either changed of dimension or have just gone back in time. The pain comes from the excessive displacement of the…"

"Yeah, I got it, no need to worsen my headache." She pointed at the end of the distillation equipment. "Can I get some?"

Promestein offered another cup which Chrome gladly accepted. She nearly choked on the product and grimaced afterward.

"How can you drink something so bitter with a straight face."

"When you live in a world led by Ilias, you learn to keep the same expression, no matter how you really feel. Anyway, as I said, I think we somehow are at the beginning of Luka's adventure to defend the world." Promestein suddenly held her forehead with a hand and winced in pain. "Don't ask how I know that."

"Mmmh… In that case, now that everyone is asleep, we can finally work on our researches without being disturbed! I will be able to work on zombies without hearing how disgusting and unethical that is every other minute."

Frederika managed to get up from a corner. The zombie towered over the small necromancer, and declared in a motherly tone.

"Chrome, you should take a bath and eat properly before that."

"Nag, nag, nag! Science is calling, this will wait, I have better to do!" She proceeded to check her creation and gritted her teeth. "Also, I definitively have to do your maintenance, because I've never seen in you in a state that bad. So let's get started!"

"Unfortunately, some other people already awakened…" Promestein took down her glasses to clean them. "The castle suffered some damages and, as we're the only one currently available smart enough to understand how most makinas work, we received a few requests for assistance to repair them." She pulled out a list out of a pocket. "We also have a few people asking for various preparations to help them get better." She sighed. "Based on the quantity and the nature of some of them, I also think that more personal requests were added into the mix."

Chrome scoffed. "Why should we do it?"

"Well, Mephisto passed by and said that Luka, as well as all the other inhabitants in the castle, are the reason we have all the equipment we need. And that if we do create practical tools to, and I quote,_ help them in the world's defense_, we will get more lab equipment."

Chrome took a look at the list. "Bah, it will take us a few hours at most! If we work together to get rid of this fast, we'll be able to start working back on our project soon enough. I'll deal with the chemicals productions while you start on the makinas."

* * *

After a while, a red clad succubus soothsayer arrived in the scientist's workshop. She was quickly noticed by Chrome who was currently filling a bottle with a strange preparation.

"Good morning Witch, do you need anything?"

"I came because I made a request for a package for Mephisto, I wanted to know if it was ready."

Chrome sighed as she pointed at the rising pile of package. "It's somewhere in there."

Witch looked at Chrome. "It looks like you have a lot of things that keeps getting in the way of your research."

The necromancer grimaced. "Don't tell me. Everyone keeps insisting on how I should turn my research towards practical applications to defend the world." She made air quotes with her fingers. "They can't enjoy some good work when they see it, they say it's up to me to orient my work rather than for them to see how what I do can be useful. As if an art needed to have use." She gestured again at the pile of various packages. "Now I also have to deliver these through the Pocket Castle. And NOW there's a request to help clean the castle, the armory, and restock the consumables." She shrugged. "This is the work of a maid, not of a researcher."

The succubus magician smirked. "Actually, why not use your zombies for these jobs? That way, you'll have some free time for yourself. I'm pretty sure the maids will appreciate your zombie's extra hands in dealing with their tasks."

Chrome pondered the idea for a few minutes. None of her zombie were smart, dexterous or obedient enough to assist her in her experiments. The more basic ones could assist the maids, while the more powerful ones such as the Cirque gifted by her sister would be able to deal with more complex tasks in the castle. After all, Zenovia used to be a Scylla maid and Titania still had some control over nature, which could make them incredibly helpful in a certain way. Furthermore, she would be free from Frederika's nagging at least for a while…

"Eh, you're right." She took a proud pose for her solemn declaration. "I, Chrome, the genius descendant of the Artiste family accept to lend the support of my creations to the inhabitants of this castle!"

"Great! In that case, may I suggest you start by delivering this package to Mephisto? It was apparently an emergency."

* * *

An hour later, every product had been delivered by Chrome's zombies. The duo was still dealing with the numerous requests, but was finally starting to see the end. Chrome had just finished crafting another product destined to the pub, supposedly a hangover cure. She sighed as she was disappointed her skills were put to use to craft things so trivial and mundane, but if Luka gifted them additional funds for equipment, she could endure the insulting work. She looked around her and found none of her usual zombies. She shrugged it off as she considered she could bring the package herself for once. It was a small way to celebrate the end of her work.

She made her way through the Pocket Castle's hallways. When she reached the pub, she could see Barbun already standing behind the counter, even if the room was currently absolutely empty. The bunny girl was rubbing her head was grimacing in pain. Chrome held out the package to her, which she gladly accepted.

"Thanks Chrome." Her expression turned into an awkward smile. "Also, we appreciate the support of your creations, but they lack the dexterity to properly serve in the pub. And a few of them reeks too much to remain accepted around.

Chrome made a dismissive gesture. "Bah! It was just a temporary test! I will need them soon for something bigger anyway!"

However, at that precise instant, she realized the real issue at hand. If she did react poorly to the travel that happened, her creations were probably not in a great shape either and would have been in a dire need of maintenance before being let loose in the castle.

As she was starting to make her way back to the laboratory, she noticed Zenovia, the undead Scylla queen gifted by her sister. The undead monster turned toward her mistress as soon as she saw her.

"Greetings Chrome, I tried to assist the maids as you asked, but aIas I cannot currently control my slime's production, I ended up making a mess." She looked downward. "It appears this body would require maintenance from you."

Chrome swore under her breath. It looked like she would have even more work to do before being able to resume her researches.

"Yeah, yeah, get to the lab, I will help you when I have free time."

The undead Scylla bowed before going on her way. Chrome started walking again when she froze for a moment. Zenovia had left a huge slime stain everywhere she passed by. A few seconds later, one of the succubi hanging out upstairs was looking at her.

"Hueugh, there's slime everywhere. Chrome, would you kindly get your trash cleaned before someone slip?"

"Argh, I'm busy, I'll clean it later!"

Just as she started making her way back to her laboratory, one of the Scylla maid slithered to her while holding several arms in her tentacles.

"You may want to stitch those back. I found them in the provision stocks." Her words were soft, but her undertone was sounding extremely threatening. Chrome was already seeing in her head a vision of her getting spanked by the maid's tentacles for her zombie's shenanigans. She chuckled awkwardly and accepted the arms. She only made a few steps when another voice boomed in the castle.

"Why are there zombies parts in the armory?" It sounded like Salamander. "Who thought using zombies to tidy up bladed weapons was a good idea? Chrome?"

The small necromancer kept walking toward the laboratory, half ashamed. She decided that bringing the zombies in her room for maintenance was imperative now.

* * *

When she finally managed to reach her laboratory, the night was starting to fall and she was completely out of breath. Promestein looked at the small succubus as the latter fell down on her chair like a puppet whose strings got cut. The angel scientist raised an eyebrow while she was still working on crafting and repairing several products.

"I suppose we have to report our work on our current project."

Chrome's muttering was barely audible. "…Tomorrow. We'll start tomorrow."

Promestein opened her book and checked various formulas. Well, at least she would have more time to properly check her maths before starting the experiments themselves. As she flipped through various pages, something crossed her mind, and she eventually called out to the ex necromancer.

"Chrome?"

The necromancer face planted on the desk. "Huuurgh, what is it?"

"You know how Mephisto took the charge of managing the castle in Luka's absence?"

"Yes. So what?"

"And how her and Witch are good friends?"

"Yeah, why is it even relevant?"

"Nothing…" Promestein resumed her work on a makina.

Chrome tried nodding, but with her face still stuck on the table, it only made her chair move back and forth a little. After several minutes, she started connecting several dots… Mephisto and Witch were good acquaintances, so the former would probably have talked about the zombies to the latter, so why did the succubus soothsayer suggest that Chrome use her zombies? They still required a lot of daily maintenance and had a tendency to make a mess of wherever they were going. Mephisto was more than aware of this issue, as it had been made obvious when the team travelled in cities in the past in her presence, so she definitively was aware of the problem… And yet Witch, one of her close friend, just asked to do it again. Why did she accept? A feeling of kinship with the fellow succubus?

The more she was thinking about it the more she realized what happened would make sense only if Mephisto wanted to make her lose time. There were several other monsters who had been trained in using makinas and item crafting, but they were the only two to have to deal with a heap of requests. The yoma teacher surely wouldn't waste their time with a prank, would she?

* * *

In the bar, Mephisto was drinking tea in the company of Witch. The succubus was calmly stirring her drink with a small spoon, her eyes close.

"Really, you are quite wicked to play Chrome and Promestein like a fiddle. Indirectly heaping requests on top of the poor girls through your friends… This is simply wicked."

Mephisto chuckled. "I just wished to remind Chrome that she has the same responsibility toward her creation one would have toward her children. And I wanted Promestein to remember that science also can have a practical application."

Witch sipped her tea and chuckled. "Is it not rather because you're afraid leaving them alone could result in them accidentally starting the apocalypse in their chase for science?"

The yoma feigned being surprised. "Surely you would not consider I would step so low and so petty rather than make the rational decision to talk to them directly?"

"I would… If I wasn't myself in need of your assistance to deal with a problem in your line of work."

"Is this going to involve getting you some help to recover energy?" She smirked. "I think you would have no need for my skills considering the sheer amount of perverts roaming the world."

Witch made a dismissive gesture. "Nothing like that. Although, you are right in this case, since I only have to use a harpy feather to succubus village to get all the energy I want. But even then, it's true the hero's is particularly tasty." She took another sip of her drink. "Actually, the request I have on this peculiar matter would sound petty, in a certain way, but I feel the future of our race may depend on it."

Mephisto brought her head closer. The succubus moved to whisper to her. "Get Succubus to stop growing an excessive amount of potatoes. Please."


	30. Story 30: Shirohebi's quest for a ruler

"So you are not willing to take back the Lamia Queen seat?"

Shirohebi was drinking tea with Aria Lamia. As one of the contender for the vacant seat, she was extremely surprised to see the past queen back from the dead, after everyone thought she was poisoned by scyllas. She was even more surprised to learn that she would not consider taking back her legitimate place. In fact, the undead ex queen had another vision of the situation altogether.

"Indeed." Aria lamia sipped her tea. Even if she was no longer alive, her body still seemed to appreciate nourishment. "As I am no longer part of the world of the living, I shouldn't meddle with its affairs. Of course, I am still free to enjoy its fine pleasures, but I do not consider that someone who climbed from her grave can be used as a beacon of guidance and decides the future of its race. Furthermore, as an undead, I have to obey a master whose goal can be detrimental to the lamia race at large."

Shirohebi was still surprised. "But surely you had projects that have to be finished? And the lamia race has been tearing itself apart since your… unforeseen departure. Maybe you had an idea for a possible successor?" She looked at the bottom of her cup, as if a solution was hiding within the infused herbs."

The undead lamia shook her head negatively. "I did not have any other goal than just stop the conflicts within our race. It saddens me that my death is responsible for new ones. But I cannot step up, given my current conditions. My only request, and I want to make it clear that I do it as a member of the lamia species and not as its ex leader, is that the queen works with the representative of the Scylla races to bring a new era of peace between both species. This is what I aimed to accomplish with Zenovia during this banquet, and death hasn't changed our goal, only our place. As for a possible successor… The seat will belong to the one who will get the most recognition from the members of our race. As you expressed a willingness to do so, I suggest searching for the most capable lamia, but one in which everyone will recognize herself." She looked in the eyes of the lamia from Yamatai. "Do not let raw strength be the sole decisive factor. She must be able to calm hearts as well to be able to lead our races."

"I see." She laid back her cup. "In that case, I thank you for sharing your wisdom, and I shall not lose any more time and start searching for a new queen fit for the throne." She bowed in front of the undead queen and slithered out of the library's back room, leaving the latter alone. Aria Lamia was wondering if Shirohebi could actually do it. She had the skills required, but her troubled heart would definitively impede her reign. But maybe she also matured enough since her attempt at a hostile takeover? She had difficulties reading the twins white snakes.

After a while, a small figure clad in black passed by and interrupted her train of thoughts.

"Ha ha! There you are! Don't try hiding! My sister gave you to me and I'm responsible for you! Now come upstairs!"

"Yes Chrome."

As the duo started making its way through the stairs, Chrome started thinking over the situation.

_Mmmh, I was right. With all the powerful figurehead under my command, I could easily create my own army that will get acknowledged by Luka and the world at large. Time to make the name of the Artiste family shine once again._

* * *

Shirohebi was cruising through the castle. Her first idea to search for the ideal lamia queen was to ask Anastasia. The blond lamia was probably the most typical member of the lamia species. Asking her on what the lamia race at large was looking for in its queen could be a good idea. Furthermore, she was easy to find, as she was almost always standing in the dining room, eating something. The lamia noticed her as soon as she stepped in.

"Hey, it's miss Shirohebi! Can I do something for you?"

"Actually, I am looking for possible contenders for the throne of the lamia queen."

The blue eyed lamia shrugged. "Meh, I'm not interested. I don't think I'd be able to reign over our race."

"And what do you think it would take to be able to lead our people?"

Anastasia perked up. "Oh! Of course! It should be someone powerful enough, whose sole presence would be enough to send the weaker members scurrying away, like Yamata No Orochi! She should take care of our needs, and, most of all, she would lead us to wage war against the ones that threaten our noble race!"

"The dangers to our race? Can you tell me more about that?" Shirohebi's curiosity was piqued.

"Of course! I am speaking about anything slimy, and scyllas in particular! I mean, do you see how their tentacles wriggle?" Anastasia held herself as she shivered. "Those abominations shouldn't exist, and they're an affront to the natural order of monsters and everything that is good."

Shirohebi deflated. "Sofia sounded more reasonable on the matter and she follows Ilias." She started leaving. "Thank you for your time."

"Hey! Come back! I have more to say about those pompous octopi! They leave slime everywhere, like slugs!" Anastasia stopped for a second. "You'll never be a good leader if you don't listen to your people!"

"You don't want someone to listen to you, you want someone to approve the extermination of the Scylla race." She was not angry in any way, just terribly annoyed.

Anastasia started ranting again, but the white snake was ignoring her now. The lamia had a point, however: Yamata No Orochi was one of the oldest being currently walking the earth, her insight on the matter would probably be invaluable. Furthermore, she was technically part of the lamia race and a good acquaintance of her. She started making her way toward the eight headed monster.

* * *

Shirohebi shivered as she slithered through the snowy area. While the colder residents were appreciating the Pocket Castle's ability to create a frozen area for them to live in, it was annoying to cruise through for anyone cold blooded like her. She felt like staying there could accidentally lead her to hibernate. Fortunately, she only needed a minute to reach the powerful monster. Yamata no Orochi was standing tall, as her eight heads were discussing several matters at the same time. Shirohebi started to wonder how she could deal with the cold when she was naked, but she remembered that the ancient monster in front of her was also part yoma (or was it part dragon?). One of its head noticed the newcomer and, gradually, every one of them turned toward her.

"Oh oh? It is rare of you to come visit us in this place. Do you require something from me?"

"Following a discussion I had with the late Aria Lamia, I am on a search for someone to take the vacant Lamia Queen seat. I was wondering if you could share your insight on the matter."

"The seat of the lamia queen?" Several of Yamata No Orochi's head looked lost in thoughts. "Mmh, I already wondered in the past if I should not take it for me. After all, I'm fit to be a queen, am I not? I am one of the most ancient members of the lamia race, and my power is unmatched. I could protect the race while having to fear no contestation, and finally, my wisdom is without equal. I would surely have been able to avoid the traps that claimed the life of my predecessor."

A ghostly voice could be heard from afar. "Unless sake gets involved…"

Yamata No Orochi snarled toward a place that seemed windier than the rest. "You will regret those words! I was trapped by someone, it was not my fault!"

Shirohebi raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you commit any mistake in the past?"

Several of Yamata No Orochi's head shook their head negatively, while a few other ones were meekly nodding positively. The heads of the former group were attacking the ones in the latter, who responded by saying something about a nekomata and sake. Soon, the situation devolved into a screaming contest between both groups, which turned into a brawl as the heads started butting against each other or wrapping around. The white snake was dumbfounded by this development.

"I see. Thank you for your time." Shirohebi was starting to slither away, unnoticed by the monster whose heads were still warring with each other. Several monsters were waiting on standby, waiting for the unavoidable moment when, once calmed, she would have to unknot her various necks.

Someone who was in conflict with herself on a daily basis to the point of turning her own power toward herself was definitively not someone fit to reign, no matter how powerful or ancient they were. Furthermore, it was clear that the old monster had either quite an ego or was unable to assume her mistakes for thinking she always took the best decisions in her life.

She started making her way back to the front of the castle. She remembered the young lamia, Teeny, who was managing the inn service there. The service in itself was mostly useless, but her skills and her abilities in serving other was remarkable, and, after all, it was what a leader was about. Besides, as a young member, she represented the future of the lamia race, and she was the lamia who had the most experience in travelling with Luka, which means she wouldn't be completely naïve to the ways of the world.

* * *

The small lamia was cleaning the counter by the entrance when Shirohebi found her. She didn't take notice of the newcomer until the white snake politely cleaned her throat.

"Welcome to Teeny's inn! How can I be of service today?"

"I am currently looking for contenders for the vacant lamia queen throne. I was wondering if you wanted to tell me what you think would make the future queen a good leader."

Teeny pondered the situation for a few seconds before answering. "Well, since each members of the lamia races are living individually and focused on themselves, she should focus on finding a common purpose to focus one to unite the race and stop the fights."

Shirohebi was surprised by the wisdom that came from the mouth of her junior. "I… see. But what do you think would make a good purpose? Beyond eating and hating scyllas, I mean."

Teeny looked at her. "Developing the culture? I mean, you are a good dancer and have mikos following you. Maybe it could be a good way to start."

"I see." Shirohebi thought the situation further. Those dances were also effective in fight, which would still interest the most warrior minded members of her species. Even if she wasn't the one going to be the queen, she could be a figure head and a precious advisor. "Thank you for your advices, your great wisdom betrays your age."

A shrill voice boomed from afar. "Don't listen to her!" Suddenly, a monster with the head of a snake on top of human legs appeared.

"GAH! Where did you come from?"

"It is I, Amira, passing by like the breeze in the forest." She tried bowing but her body structure made it look more ridiculous than she already was. "You shouldn't listen to her! She doesn't know the way of the world and of our race as well as I do!"

Teeny's shoulders slumped, but she looked more annoyed by the unfortunate lamia's antics than really wounded.

"I know perfectly how to get the whole of the lamia race united under your thumb." She got closer to Shirohebi's ear, almost whispering. "But this information will not come in cheaply… For ten thousand golden coins, that information will be your."

The white lamia recoiled. "Ten thousand- are you out of your mind? And if you know how to do it, why aren't you taking the seat for yourself?"

Amira turned on the side, half ashamed. "I don't take it because everyone would turn away from me and my cursed appearance. I wouldn't be able to lead the race our race on its rightful path if our kin doesn't give me access to the ressources I need." She then looked up at her interlocutor. "But surely for you a few thousand coins are nothing, considering your temple's wealth?"

"This is not…" Something clicked in Shirohebi's head. She snarled at Amira. "Oooh… I get it… You know about my familial wealth and you plan to just mooch off it, don't you?" She grinned. "Wouldn't your plan include a hairbrained scheme to bribe a lot of members and getting your money back by using them as your personal army to gather money?"

Amira haughtily turned away, scoffing. It was clear that Shirohebi hit the bullseye.

"Well in that case, please do not waste my time any longer you leech. I had to deal with gold diggers like you way too many times to enjoy your presence any longer.

Amira fell dramatically on the side, pretending to be hurt. "You wounded my golden heart with your cruel words! It is now bleeding through numberless leaks! Kyuuun…"

"And don't think my golden coins will ever fix it!"

Angry but also disappointed, Shirohebi started making her way back to the bar. It was definitively time for a drink.

* * *

A few hours later, the white snake was drinking at the pub alone. While she got some information and wisdom during her inquiries, she was also depressed with the overall result. Not two lamias had the same idea for what would make a good queen for their species, and, most of all, she had been reminded of her own race's shortcomings. They were beyond divided, and she certainly didn't want to deal with them more than she already did."

"I've seen you at the bar more than anywhere else. Isn't a shrine maiden supposed to live frugally?"

She turned toward the source of the voice and saw Mephisto. The yoma magician was smirking, clearly enjoying the sight of the downcast lamia.

"Maybe shrine maidens do, but not a Yamatai goddess." She gestured to the bunny girl to save her again. "And a shrine maiden doesn't spend hours a day to look for new contenders for the queen lamia throne in those troubled times."

"So this is what your wandering was about? Why didn't you ever considered asking little old me?"

Shirohebi sarcastically smirked after chugging her drink. "Because I know you well enough to know that your advice will be on how to make your way through the higher part of the society through lies and flattery and technically say that you do anything wrong as you never were contractually obliged."

Mephisto chuckled. "You pierced me to daylight a long time ago." She sat down in front of the depressed lamia. "But have you actually tried doing it?"

"I would have… if I actually wished to take the throne myself."

The yoma frowned. "Is it no longer the case? I remember you rising a small army to try taking over Yamatai Village after all."

"I was interested… Then I met the people I would rule over should the mantle fall over my shoulder. I wouldn't be able to bear with Anastasia's thick skulled racism or Yamata No Orochi's ego for a day. I'm currently fine as one of the hero's companion when he calls on me."

"Maybe your sister would."

"Maybe. But while my relation with her can be strained, I wouldn't be so crass as to let her deal with this situation alone."

"Make it a shared reign then. It wouldn't be surprising for two siblings to share one throne."

Shirohebi started entertaining the thought. Maybe she could share the throne with her sister after all…

"No, our visions are too different, we would conflict too much. How would a pair of queens that keep fighting amongst themselves bring peace to our race?"

Mephisto fell silent for a while. Eventually, she spoke again. "Then maybe you should make a break in your search. Take your time, find yourself a temporary hobby…"

Shirohebi eyed her, surprised. "Like what? I'm not sure there's a lot of place in this world for someone whose main skills are geared toward traditional Yamatai dances.

"Actually you would be surprised. Why don't you ask Saki? I'm pretty sure she would find something for a lamia versed in traditional dances. Furthermore, who knows? Maybe you will go on the roads with her, and discover someone fitting to make a queen for the lamia race."

The white snake chuckled. "Even if such an event is unlikely, I must admit you're right. I will see to change my mind for a while." She got up of her seating and left the yoma.

Mephisto leaned back on her chair. An idea made its way through her mind. Maybe she could claim the throne for herself. She had enough traits to be accepted as a lamia, her name was feared enough to dissuade contestants, and she was more than used to deal with royalty. She knew the in and the outs of managing a nation, and, ultimately, would make a pretty good ruler.

After several minutes, she noticed the scantily clad form of Succubus approaching with a clearly annoyed expression on her face. The major of succubus village made a beeline to her and placed a strange cake with sparse blue topping on top of it.

"What is that?"

"One of your students did bet she could beat Candy and Witch is missing." She gestured toward the cake. "It took the sacrifice of three parfaits to save her."

All the ideas in her head converged toward one question. Were the charges of a queen in this world that different than those of a teacher? Now more than ever, she considered the latter ones were enough to keep her busy without having to worry about the future of a whole race.

"Good grief…"


	31. Story 31: Succubus blues

"Hiiyyyuuurghhh…"

Morrigan awakened in her private room in the Pocket Castle with a sensation of déjà vu as her head was spinning heavily and her body felt half broken. She looked around and noticed she was apparently alone. She tried getting up a few times, but eventually gave up and decided to continue resting while trying to remember what happened.

She remembered she was travelling with Luka and a lolified version of Ilias, and she had enjoyed poking at the goddess until she broke. The group was near Mithra castle when they got attacked by Zion. After the latter nearly killed the little goddess, Eden and the two other little seraphs somehow had managed to join the fray to attack the one that tried harming their goddess. Then she tried to hunt Zion down when her target was fleeing, but the angel soldier had blasted her.

Morrigan castigated herself for her weakness, as she should have been able to strike down the second generation seraph by herself. Worse, she remembered feeling this world's version of her looking at them, which means her sisters would likely be aware of her failure and wouldn't miss an occasion to mock her. She repositioned herself a few times while groaning.

"You're awake…"

"KIYAAAAA!"

Morrigan jumped up on top of her bed in surprise. She saw Alma Elma leaning against a wall with a book in her hand. The Succubus Queen had concealed her presence until now, which was an impressive feat. The youngest of the Lilith Sisters doubted that her presence in her own private room was good news for her.

"Alma Elma! Hehehehe… Can I do anything for you?"

She tried getting up again to conceal her current weakness, but could only manage to sit straight with much effort.

"Nothing… I am only here to watch over you and get sure that you recover nicely after what you've done."

"Huh." The blue haired succubus was nicely surprised. She initially expected to be punished either for her failure against the seraph, or her numerous moments of fun that led to said seraph attacking them in the first place... Instead, they apparently accepted it nicely. Maybe it was because she had ultimately more or less saved Ilias…

She wallowed on the bed. "Well, in that case, how about we get me a few men to suck dry? I'm pretty sure I'll be in top shape just with that!"

"Sorry, but I had quite clear instructions on the matter."

Morrigan deflated. Her brain was already running wild as she was imagining the worst case scenarios she could be put through. She remembered the _experiences_ that Luka himself went through when he decided to use a valuable wish to get a porno book.

"This is going to suck, isn't it? Well, time to pay the piper I guess..."

Alma Elma closed her book and looked at the wounded succubus. She had an unusually serious book on her face.

"It was explicitly agreed that I wouldn't let you drain anyone to death. In most other cases, I would have _forgotten_ this rule faster than Luka would come in a monster, but considering that you don't devote any time to bring your victims to heaven even when you're free to do so, I will actually care to not let that happen while trying to remind you that the actions of a succubus should always be about bringing pleasure."

Morrigan glared at the succubus queen. "Hiiiyuuu… You do realize I'm millennia older than you, right? We wrote the lecture you're giving me. And considering your past, I am not exactly sure you're the most fitting one to give me the talk."

Her interlocutor shrugged. "I personally admit that I have my share faire of skeletons in the closet. However, as you said, you're millennia old, so you should know better by now and enjoy melting your partner's mind through a thorough use of sexual skills. Why do you still kill your victims so fast? That's so unrefined…"

"Because I can?" Morrigan looked at Alma Elma with a surprised expression. "Didn't you ever get tired of dealing with perverts who come to you just to try to get their fix?"

She then looked in front of her as if she was addressing someone invisible."Sorry, but I'm not a tool who's just here to pleasure you, dumbass! Oh, you insist? Well, here's your reward!" Her hand glowed for a short time. She fell back on the bed and regretted her action, as even this small act took a large part in her remaining reserves of energy. "And you, you never did the same?"

Alma Elma remained silent for a moment. True, she was quite selective when it came to men, and many ended dissolved in her tail while only a few lucky and skilled warriors had the opportunity to taste the other pleasures her body could bring. Her reaction didn't escape Morrigan.

"Of course you do. Because you are a succubus free to do as you wish, like me. And the end result of our action is the same. A victim terrified by its upcoming death but still craving for the pleasure that will end him. This is what we live for."

Alma Elma remained lost in thoughts for a few moments, but resumed her cheerful attitude surprisingly abruptly. She started talking again in a sing song voice.

"Anyway, since you've been more naughty than nice, we'll have to punish you. Originally, they considered getting the Grand Noah queen to practice her whipping skills on you…"

Morrigan shivered. "Oooh… Kinky!"

"…But I convinced them that would be a bad idea and you just confirmed I was right in my choice." The succubus queen proceeded to sit on the bed. "So instead, since you will be more or less stuck in the castle for a few weeks, you will be put on the team that will be in charge of managing any intelligence that reaches us."

"Huh." Morrigan thought the punishment was a bit light on the side considering how the hero viewed murder. Not that she'd complain as a whole.

"You will start working with them tomorrow." Alma Elma suddenly started emitting a threatening aura. "Should you decide to harm your allies, the hero made it clear there would be unpleasant consequences that your sisters wouldn't be able to protect you from."

"Don't worry, I'm done screwing around, and even then I don't think I'd be able to harm a puppy in that state anyway."

"Good."The aura died down and Alma Elma looked cheerful again. "We're sure you won't attack the responsible when she grates your nerves."

Morrigan felt a tingling sensation along her spine. "Ok, what's the catch?"

The succubus queen looked surprised. "Why are you expecting a trap? Luka is not someone like that."

"Except I get the feeling that while Luka had a hand in the final verdict, he probably wasn't the one that came up with the actual sanction, which means the idea likely came from either Sonya or Mephisto. We both know the former hates my guts and the latter can get extremely wicked and twisted in her plans. Sooo, there's definitively a catch."

Alma Elma smiled. "You're quite the perceptive one, aren't you?"

"One doesn't live for millennia without being at least a bit careful. Particularly when a few of your aunties wouldn't mind eating you alive. So just tell me and let's get over it."

"Well, you'll see for yourself soon enough. Also, you're ordered to not approach Ilias or any other angel within a 30 meters radius unless asked otherwise. This will not apply when you work since Cupi is part of the group, but of course, the idea remains the same: no molesting, humiliating or breaking angels. Or anyone else actually, but stay further away from angels. Unless they ask you, of course…" She proceeded to end her sentence by licking her lips.

Morrigan pouted. "Actually, I guess I deserved that one. Fiiiine. I'll be careful."

"And, of course, we will be sure that you enforce follow rules for now on Everybody concerned has been made aware. So don't try weaseling out!"

The blue haired succubus sighed. "I got it, I got it, I swear I'll play nice…"

"We already heard that one before."

"Yes, but as you said, you'll be keeping your eyes on me. Now, are we done, or do you have something else to add to my burden?"

"Actually, there's one thing we forgot to talk about." Alma became slightly more somber. "Please refrain from contacting your sisters. We already have attracted enough attention as it is, we don't want them to focus on us for now."

Morrigan cringed. "Yeaaah, I already got that. Good luck with parallel me on your way to Sentora. And sorry for what happened at Gold Fort."

"Good." Alma Elma smiled once again. "Get well soon!"

The succubus queen finally left the youngest of the Lilith Sisters alone. As soon as her interlocutor had left the room, Morrigan snarled at the ceiling. Between the feeling of weakness and the imposed deprivation, she was in a terrible mood. She hoped that her rehabilitation would at least be fun, with her skills put to good use…

* * *

"Greetings! It is I, Amira, a snake passing as the wind, who will guide you through your tasks!"

Morrigan's jaw dropped in front of the reversed lamia. She expected Mephisto to be the one in charge of this work since she was used to managing sensitive information. Instead, she found herself staring at the snake headed walking pair of legs, who was a joke within monsterkind for her delusions of self grandeur.

"Wait, you're the one in charge of managing the intelligence that reaches the Pocket Castle?"

Amira clicked her tongue. "Feh! Are you saying that I'm unable to do this job? Is this racism based on my appearance?"

"No, it's because there are quite a lot of monsters who are several times older and have way more experience in gathering and managing sensitive data."

"Ah, but you see, I was the first one chosen by the hero. And as the one with the most seniority on the team, it was natural that he kept me while the newcomers turn toward me to guide them in the fortress."

A melodious voice could be heard from a painting on the wall. "Actually, everybody knows that it's because you were the first on Luka's road and he let you keep this place because otherwise you'd keep throwing hissy fits." The upper part of a beautiful human woman came out of the painting, with a smirk on her face. "And the pun was intended."

Morrigan grinned at the Paintgest's caustic story.

Amira's tongue clicked once again. "Maybe, but still, this form suits me well in my information gathering tasks. Nobody will care for a monster that could pass as a tramp, and people are more likely to let their tongue slip."

"I-. Good point actually." The succubus crossed her arms. "Still, considering how fast you lose your cool when money is involved, I remain surprised you're still fine and trusted today."

"This, coming from the one who tried killing me at Iliasburg! But don't worry, I do not hold any grudge or ill intent toward you." She tried turning dramatically, but the legwork it required only made her look ridiculous. "But getting money is not my true motivation, my only goal is helping people to live in the world."

A black haired succubus dressed in plain clothes passed by while carrying a pile of documents. "You're the reason we now have to file in a request form to get more than a certain amount of money from the common bank. You asked Luka to give you five thousand gold pieces without saying what for. And even when he gave it, you still snatched around twenty thousand gold pieces more from the common treasury. He sort of snapped when he was called by the Grand Noah queen to talk about your golden statue appearing in the town center."

"Tch! Eva! A good informant has to know what information is to be kept under wrap!"

"I know." Eva continued unfettered. "That was for not giving me a share."

An uncomfortable silence fell before Morrigan started talking again. "Sooo, what exactly do you want me to do?" She proceeded to use her hands to show her scantily clad body. "I'm a succubus, so I suppose you know what are my best skills…"

"We already have enough agents on the ground to gather information. Also, my works already lead me to discover you are not to be left without surveillance, so you will not go on the terrain."

"Yeah, it's certainly not because Mephisto came to tell you." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Amira's tongue clicked once again, which was starting to get on Morrigan's nerves.

"But maybe someone with a tongue so threatening and a mind so sharp could be of good use to manage the most… whimsical elements of our network." The reverse lamia waddled toward a seat with a heap of cloth on it. "The tech team created some easy to use magic-infused makinas to be able to communicate with the informants on the ground."

"Fine, but… Why did you fit them on a goat costume?" Morrigan lifted the outfit with a disgusted expression. "Wait, why on Hellgondo do we even have a goat costume?"

"This is one of the rule of the informant's guild. Don't ask a question if you don't want the answer…"

Morrigan gestured at herself with her free hand. "Please, I dealt with fetishes that you wouldn't even guess ever existed. Zoophilia would just be another day in the park."

"Actually…" Amira looked awkwardly on the side. "I am under an oath to not talk about it…"

"So you screwed up that badly?" The succubus shrugged. "I guess someone around will be able to tell me more. But first, how do you remove the equipment from the costume? There's no way I'm wearing that."

"You can't." The duo glared at each other. "And if you damage the costume, I shall personally report to Luka and Mephisto about your refusal to cooperate, which will of course lead to additional sanctions. And I heard about-"

Morrigan snarled. Eventually, she decided to let her pride take a hit for the sake of her future. "Okay, okay, I got it. I'll accept it. I'll wear the damn outfit."

As she put on the cloth, the succubus realized that maybe keeping on piquing the reverse lamia had been a bad idea, particularly since she could still be holding that grudge from Iliasburg in contrary to what she said. Her mind wandered, and she realized it could also be possible jealousy coming from the reverse lamia after Luka made several personal requests to the succubus, while he still seemed to be uncomfortable in the presence of the lamia. When she was finally done, she acknowledged she was looking ridiculous. The outfit was clearly several sizes too big , and it was lacking the usual enchantments that made clothes adjust to their wearer. Furthermore, its coloration was a strange mix of brown and black spiraling in unnatural patterns. Last, the two horns were comically oversized, and were half supported by her owns, which made it look a pair of floppy genitalia from afar.

She checked around her and noticed that not a single monster nor angel other than Amira looked at her to laugh. She wondered if it was because of her reputation or if it was because everybody was used to deal with Amira's antics.

"If you need anything, you can ask anyone around."

"Whateveeer…"

As Amira left her new recruit, Morrigan silently sat at her new desk. While she considered these tasks a waste of her skills, maybe it was time to settle down a little and get back some goodwill from the hero's group. It was not the first time this thought crossed her mind, but she realized how serious the situation was getting. She remembered that she originally had fought Zion above the sea leading to Sentora, not anywhere close to Mithra castle. Further deviation from the true story would increase the spread of chaosization, and deviating from Luka's adventure would inherently mean deviating from the true history. Maybe they were right on that one…

She took a look at the list that Amira had put there and groaned. She had to deal with most of the unfortunate friends -it seemed even Amira considered them unreliable and annoying, not exactly a good start-, Cupi, Lona, the dark elf swordsman, and Mitsuko, a literal honey pot monster from the mimic family. She looked at the notes. Apparently, Cupi couldn't stop punishing humans who debauched themselves with monsters by molesting them further -basically punishing sex with more sex-, Lona had to run away from Iliasburg after several families complained about her escapades which included several young boys, and while Mitsuko had managed to infiltrate Ilias village -Luka's village-, she had apparently had already been caught several times which resulted in the villagers replacing most of their clay pots with buckets.

Since physical coaxing was out of question, Morrigan found herself contemplating the options that were available. The Unfortunate Friends could definitively be intimidated by rulers of their respective race, and she could easily convince them herself. It was the same for Lona, the elf queen could definitively deal with the dark elf better than she herself could. Mitsuko's deployment would be limited to bigger cities. While the population's density would make moving around unseen more difficult, one misplaced pot was less likely to attract attention. The only remaining issue was Cupi. If the small angel openly interpreted her official superior Eden's orders, Morrigan knew she had no chance to make her work straight herself. She was the angel with the mindset closest to a succubus, but still had her head filled with that pseudo-goddess's commandments. Pondering this, the blue haired demoness decided that the best course of action would be to implant the idea in Cupi's mind that she should "punish" people she had to get information form to have her act as a honey pot. She took note of their planning to get sure her strategy would work fine. If she managed to recenter those, this would definitively bring her back the trust of the hero.

Morrigan sighed as she leaned back on her chair. Succubi were living for the moment. Planning and, save for a few exceptions, administrating other people was definitively the antithesis of her kin's mindset. This control tool was more used by the kitsunes. Even her mother who was offered San Ilia was content with letting inhabitants come and do as they wanted freely. The only condition is that she always had a possible partner available, which was not always as easy as it seemed as she went through them at an alarming rate. Each and any of the Lilith Sister themselves were given the possibility and had the power to establish their small fiefdom, but having to manage a population's need just for the guarantee of a partner was not worth the annoyance.

After a while, Morrigan felt observed. When she turned, she could see Taura, a minotaur who compensated her unusual physical weakness with a great mastery over makinas. The passerby was staring at the weirdly clothed succubus with an eyebrow raised. Morrigan couldn't bear with the gawking and eventually broke the awkward silence between the two of them.

"Whatcha want?"

"I thought there wouldn't be any need to infiltrate the Demon Cow Queen castle until we reached the Noah region?"

Morrigan blinked a few times. "Is your eyesight that poor or didn't you notice it is actually a piss poor goat costume, not even a cow one?"

"I did notice. Not sure Amira did when she bought it though."

Morrigan finally connected the dots. Her sudden laughter scared everyone in the room as she envisioned minotaurs surrounding Amira, with the latter waddling in her costume, convinced that her clever disguise was working.


	32. Story 32: By the fireplace

It was a cold, snowy day. The Pocket Castle was covered by a white coat, with more snowflakes falling from the sky as time passed by. It was the perfect time to stay inside and enjoy a book near a fire place, which was precisely what Mephisto intended to do. She was comfortably sitting in a padded armchair, holding a book, while fire was crackling in a stone-made fireplace. In front of her were several of the youngest monsters present in the castle, as well as several fairies. They were sitting on a thick red carpet, impatient to have their senior read them epic stories from the book she was currently holding.

"Good evening children, since you all have been good girls and with us stuck because of the ugly weather, I decided it would be a perfect time for stories."

"Yaaaay!"

"Now, you know how your teacher cares about you learning more things. This will be both fun, and educative. So you should remember them well, for they can be useful to you."

"But if you know them so well, why do you read them from a book?" Several pupils chuckled.

Mephisto smirked. "Actually, I don't need that book, but it is more comfortable that way."

A feminine figure in pajamas popped up off the book the yoma was holding. "So why did you choose me rather than any of the inert books?"

"Yoko, books are not supposed to talk. You're breaking the magic."

Yoko glared at the yoma. "I am used as a prop for the sake of your narrative. Don't you think I am allowed to express how I feel?"

Salamander, the fire spirit, glared from the fireplace. "Do not complain. Please do not complain. Let her just get started so that it will be over as fast as it can be."

Mephisto gestured toward the children. "Good grief, do not be a bunch of wet blankets and let children enjoy the stories."

Both monsters calmed down and camouflaged themselves in their current environment. The yoma teacher started smiling gently again.

"Now, now, let us start those epic adventures."

"Yaaaay!"

She opened the book on the first page and started reading.

"So let us begin with the one story that started it all."

"Once upon a time…"

* * *

_There was a gentle goddess alone in the darkness. She was sad, travelling alone in the empty vastness of space. One day, she discovered a verdant world, filled with cute animals. There also were strange, hairless animals that were using tools and using a more complex way of communicating. She tried mingling with those animals, but some fled when they saw her. Eventually, she made herself look more like them and managed to start living with them. She started learning more about them and enjoyed being with them. As she got to know more about them, she realized that they wanted to live together because they were afraid of dying alone and were enjoying the companionship of others, just like her._

_She realized that if the animals around were more like them, those humans would be happy and have plenty of companions to live with. She then used her magic to transform six animals into beautiful monsters that would bring the company those humans wanted. And so the first six monsters were born. And soon, they each got companions and had lot and lot of children, even the goddess. Everything was happy and well as monsterkind and humankind started growing together, hand in hand. In her infinite wisdom, she had made it so that her six daughters wouldn't age, so that they would acquire a lot of wisdom and could always share it with the human's children._

_But this all displeased greatly someone else. After some time, that someone else revealed herself. She called herself the goddess of light, and said that these humans were her creations and that the other goddess was defiling them. The Dark Goddess tried to talk with the other one, but soon, the other started attacking her cute little subordinates and everyone that supported them. Saddened by this senseless violence, the Dark Goddess had no other choice but had to fight to help her creations._

_As the fight went on and on, it was clear the Dark Goddess and her forces were stronger than the other army. However, their fight became so huge that the whole world was in danger. And then, the other goddess lowly tricked our heroine and her best friends into sealing themselves, only leaving her daughter behind. But one of those best friends saw through the ploy and managed to slip through, although weakened. She was loyal to her mother, and saw that the other goddess would never manage to kill all the Dark Goddess' children._

_The other goddess laughed at her victory apparent victory, as she thought she only needed to send someone to kill the Dark Goddess's daughter to win. But soon she stopped when she realized that the world was filled with the children she hated so much. And she cried even more when they continued growing in numbers while the heroes she sent kept failing or joining them. She cried when she realize her petty person could never be liked as much as the Dark Goddess, who gifted monsterkind to humanity. And now she's sadder than ever, as the Dark Goddess, still sealed, is patiently waiting with her friends while she herself is knowing loss and failure._

"And that is the story of our origin."

"What's a subordinate? I often heard lady queen succubus tell Luka that he was a total sub."

"This is someone who obeys the orders of someone else."

"Oh so that's why Luka was called a subordinate. Because she was telling him to come to her to f-."

"Do you want another story?"

"Yes!"

"Once upon a time…"

* * *

_There was a huge giantess. She was several times as tall as humans, but deep down, she had a gentle heart and wanted nothing more than to be friends with everybody. However, everybody was scared of her. Each time humans saw her, they ran away or prepared to fight. Each times monsters saw her, they kept at a distance, afraid of what she would do. Even the ones that called themselves their friend were keeping away from her, worried that she would hurt them or break their things._

_As time passed by, she started feeling lonely. She wanted to know that feeling of company her friends shared with humans. However, her huge size prevented her from interacting with humans in any way. She saw herself as a freak. Even if human accepted her anyway, how could their difference in size work? After having accidentally broken a friend's house and being scolded one too many time, she left for the desert, where she had a lot of place for herself and wouldn't be able to harm anyone._

_One day, a hooded woman approached her. The woman offered her the possibility to have the same size as a human, but she would never be able to go back to being a giantess ever again. She gladly accepted the deal, and soon, gained the size of a human. She then noticed that the desert she was in was now way bigger, and it took her a large amount of time to leave it and get back to a village. Once she reached one, she got to enjoy everything she couldn't before because of her large size. She got a house and settled down with a companion._

_One night, a storm was blowing through the forest. The winds were so violent that it threatened to make the tree fall on the house of her new friends. At this moment, she wished for nothing more than being a giant again. In the dark, she saw the hooded woman who reduced her size in the first place. At first, she begged her to give her back her giant form so that she could grab them and prevent the tree from falling. The woman told her that she accepted that she would never become a giantess again. Later, the tree fell and destroyed her friend's s house._

_When she got back to her companion, she despaired, but he consoled her and said he was happy as long as she was. Eventually, she came to accept that she would remain the size of a human her whole life, and lived happily with her companion until their death._

"But why didn't she find another mage to break the spell?"

"Because it can't be broken! Didn't you hear the professor?"

"You will see if this magic can't be broken!"

"Professor Mephistooo! The fairy made me small."

"Good grief. Don't worry, I always have a lucky mallet ready… There, fixed for you."

"See? If she had a lucky mallet, she could have broken the spell. Kya! Now I'm paralyzed! And stuck to the ceiling with slime! Help! Mmmh!"

"Try breaking that one you little… Now where were we? Oh, right, next story."

* * *

_Now, not all monsters are kind. Some are cruel and vicious, wanting nothing more than to bully and torment the ones they see as weaker than them. This is the story of one monster, that everybody calls the blue ogre. She is the worst kind of monster, enjoying the misery of others, often done by her hand. Every time she appeared, she killed and ate people without reason beyond that she could. She only left suffering and a terrifying memory of her cruel laughter for everyone fortunate enough to have been spared._

_Some people said she was like a lone wolf, but those people are wrong. A wolf is an animal that attack others only because he's hungry or scared. She didn't eat people because she was hungry or because she was scared, she attacked simply because she enjoyed it. She enjoyed seeing people terrified when they realized they were about to be eaten by the blue ogre._

_Nobody could fight her. Her powers were too strong for her victims. Her skills were too great for those that wanted to protect her victims. And her speed was too high for anyone wanting to follow her. Only a few fools dared to challenge her directly, but they were not enough and were also eaten by the blue ogre. As no one could threaten her, she kept attacking whoever she wanted, whenever she wanted, and wherever she wanted. At a time, everybody was worried that the blue ogre would come for them and eat them whole._

_But one day, the blue ogre travelled to an isolated place, probably hoping to find someone else to scare or to eat. She saw someone who was standing alone, looking weak and isolated. The blue ogre decided to attack her, but what she thought to be an easy target attacked her back and sucked a part of her power. The blue ogre was soon on the receiving end of all the harm she brought for several years. She pleaded for mercy, and only managed to escape thanks from the help of a hero passing by. Now that she was weaker, she was no longer a danger for the hero. She begged him to protect her, and, in his infinite goodness, he accepted. She was welcome and cared for by the hero and his companions as a new member._

_But after all this, even after being weakened and even after enjoying the hero's goodness for herself, the blue ogre started acting up again. She bullied the other people in the hero's group, and left sometime on her own to bring harm on the others. But she wasn't as strong as she used to be, and this time, it didn't take long before someone challenged her. The blue ogre was beaten down, and the hero could only do so much for her. He still cared for her, but she was reduced to a pathetic creature, and everybody was happier when the ogre was no longer seen. She was ridiculed in her back, and she couldn't do anything as those that feared her were now laughing good heartedly at her misfortune._

* * *

"And that, children, is the story of the blue ogre. If you act like the blue ogre, you will end like the blue ogre, and everybody will be extremely disappointed in you."

"Another, another!" The children were chanting enthusiastically.

"But it is getting late, and some of you will have exams very soon. You don't want to fail and be treated as a second zone mage because you didn't sleep enough would you?"

"Awww…"

The yoma suddenly felt a magic surge from outside.

"Gah! It's incredibly fricking cold here! Whoever did break the Pocket Castle's weather system is asked to come out! I will not torture her for hours to calm myself or use her insides to keep me warm!"

Mephisto looked carefully at the window leading to the inner courtyard and saw several scantily clad succubi lead by Morrigan. Several of them were shivering, and the latter's aura was flaring in full which was not a good sign of things to come.

"Hey! Even Alrauna is frozen over! Anybody wants some frozen honey? Wait Serra, don't lick her! Aaaand now your tongue is stuck down there of course. It's fortunate there are no kids around… Don't move while I try to… Yeah I wanted to tell you that, Succubus Village never froze over or what? Yeah, get a white mage. Yes, you can try warming them up… Not that way! And you, go search Mephisto to warn her! Damn it, if I catch the idiot…"

The yoma looked back at her young assembly and closed her book as she cleared her throat.

"Now now, children, story time is over. You are free to leave, but do it silently, and don't disturb the blue ogre or she will eat you whole."

"Scary blue ogre!"

The children chanted the unfortunate nickname a few times as they left the room. Mephisto slowly exhaled as she pulled out the control system from one of the folds of her robe.

"How much are you willing to pay me to forget that you toyed with the thermostat for the sake of her setup?"

Mephisto glared at the fireplace where Salamander was evilly grinning.

"I did not consider a noble dragonkin would resort to blackmail. This is dishonorable."

"This is not blackmailing. This is an open opportunity negotiation. Papi could use new tools for her forge, the arena could use some repairs… Oh, and I promised I would get Regina a new armor."

"I accept your deal, you snake-tongued lizard. Just get sure this never leaves your mouth."

"Thank you."

Salamander got up and silently left the room. Mephisto looked at the command of the Pocket Castle in her hand, then at the book in the other when a twisted idea made its way to her mind.

"Now, let us go check San Ilia's library once again. I need more material for inspiration. Also, would you kindly bring this to Amira's room?" She held the command toward Yoko. The book monster took it and started moving on its own, slightly hovering like a sheet of paper carried by a gust of wind.

Mephisto crossed her hands under her chin and deployed her magic senses. Silently, she waited one minute, then another, carefully gauging what was happening. Eventually, she started hearing screaming, but there were no signs of a possible spell cast angrily. She decided to make her way out of the room, and saw Succubus with the command in one hand.

"What is happening?"

"Someone had fun with the castle's weather system and placed the command near an asleep Amira." She handed the command to Mephisto.

"Good grief, how do we know she isn't the one who fooled around with it?"

"Without fingers?"

The yoma finally noticed the small miscalculation in her perfect plan.


	33. Story 33: What is a monster?

"Don't you intend to make your services more accessible?"

Vanilla crossed her arms in front of her (missing) chest. The young looking blond vampire was getting tired of being asked the same question again and again under a different form. And this particular "customer" was starting to get on her nerves.

"I'm sorry Amira, but my answer is still no. I already help Luka with my own skills, as well as also Mephisto when she requires assistance in managing the stocks. If I start cutting my prices for friends, word will spread around and I will end up losing money fast!"

"Tch. So greedy." The reverse lamia clicked her tongue and looked down at the merchant. "What would your mother say if she saw you now?"

"She would be extremely proud that her daughter has been personally chosen by the vampire queen herself to assist in starting her business and got herself a name as a result."

"You might have been chosen by the vampire queen, but the customer is king."

"Except you're not buying anything, sooo… you're not a customer. And the kings pay as everyone else do." She leaned over the counter to whisper to Amira. "Also the Don is aware of your little scam about selling pseudo elixirs that are nothing else than basic herbs mixed with wine. You might want to stay low for a while."

The reverse Lamia waddled out of the Pocket Castle, emitting noises that sounded like swears all the while. Across the hallway, Teeny was busy cleaning the counter with a cloth. The small lamia was one of the more diligent person when it came to keeping the castle clean. Vanilla decided to take a break to discuss with her friend.

"Hey Teeny. You're not too busy right now?"

"No, the inn service is currently not being used that much."

Vanilla stepped behind the counter and saw that the room was currently unused. However, she also noticed that the furniture was of extremely high quality, and the room itself was perfectly clean.

"Woaah, you really made that old room better! Why did you do that? That's impressive!"

"That's because I want to show I can be the best hostess!" She proudly stood with a triumphant smile. However, after a minute, her expression gradually soured. "But it's difficult, I had to buy new furniture several times because it deteriorate fast. And now there are queen monsters who use it, so I have to be sure it is fit for them! My reputation is at stake!"

Vanilla looked starry eyed. "Today, it is fit for a queen. One day, it will have to be fit for a god."

"That is not funny!"

"But with Luka, that may be true." Both girls turned toward Salamander. The Fire Spirit was standing behind them, looking maternally at the duo. "Besides, even if you fail, you at least tried and you will improve! Look at Papi! She started at the lowest, and now, she's probably the best smith there is south of Hellgondo! But she met difficulty on her path, I still remember when she learned to craft rainbow material... She never gave up."

The duo was barely listening at her, and was more focused on staring at the spirit's exposed breasts. "Girls? Are you listening?" Salamander waved her hand in front of their empty stares.

"Breasts…"

"What?" When she realized what they were talking about, Salamander recoiled and used her arms to cover herself. "Oh come on, I already have enough problems with Sara and Carmilla, don't tell me you want it too!"

"What?" Teeny raised an eyebrow. "We're talking about the luck you have in having well developed breasts!" Salamander sighed, relieved. "What's the link with the succubus princess and the left hand of the vampire queen?" She tensed back again.

"Huuh, nothing! Forget about it! What's it about me having well developed breasts… Oh, I see, you're worried because your chests are not as developed as some other monsters."

Both monsters nodded, teary eyed.

Salamander sighed. "Well, you're still extremely young, so they still have time to grow. Also, whatever the succubus queen says, bigger is not better."

"That's easy to say in your case."

Teeny immediately regretted this slip of her tongue. Salamander was right in her face, intensively glaring at the small lamia. The fire spirit calmed down fast, however.

"Be careful about what you say. Some people can react more violently to a misplaced word." She started smiling motherly again. "Considering your issue, it may be important to you, but you have so much more to live for. I mean, it won't change anything into your hostess or your merchant skills. Even when it comes to seduction, there are different tastes in the nature, and all sizes have their chance… And even then , being a good monster is not all about being the sexiest! And sexiness isn't just about breasts! Actually why don't you ask around you what's important to make you proud representatives of your kind? Other member of your races can have different perspectives on the matter, after all."

Both of the bandits nodded and left. Salamander hoped that the lesson that took roots was that there were more important things than having a big chest. Bah! After all, they were still young. They would probably grow out of this silly and petty problem.

"You were giving advice to children? I wonder how this will end."

Salamander scowled as she saw Undine, the water spirit. "What? You've got a problem with that?"

"I never considered you would be kind and patient enough to teach any young children anything useful."

Salamander frowned. "Come on! While you were busy sulking into your spring, I keep teaching to any pupils that was willing to put up an effort!"

"Teaching them what? How to be barbarians?!"

Salamander's fist got suddenly set ablaze. "Oh, I see how it is, it's on then!"

Ignoring the rising conflict between the two spirits, Teeny and Vanilla were making their way to the back on the castle when they got noticed by Gob and Papi. The small goblin zoomed in to the group at an incredible speed.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"We're going to ask the adults about how to be good monsters! We want to have a shining future!"

The small dragonkin puffed her chest proudly. "I already know my future is going to be shining! I will be the best smith ever! And I will have large breasts too!"

"It is not what's important." Vanilla wanted to sound neutral, but she ended up grimacing when she retorted to Papi.

"Awww, don't worry, I'm sure if you drink milk and eat meat, yours will grow too." The dragon pup sounded extremely cheerful, which further aggravated the vampire who started sulking silently. The lamia was just looking down. "What's happening?"

"Nothing…"

Both Teeny and Vanilla stared at each other, bonding over their plight. "We'll never grow strong and attract men…"

Gob shrugged. "I remembered the fox goddess at Yamatai, she said a chest wasn't needed to attract men."

"But she's a goddess and we're not." The group fell silent, pondering the different wise words they heard and how it contradicted what they saw in the past. Eventually, Teeny found a solution.

"Why don't we go see Succubus? I am sure she has a lot to tell on the matter."

* * *

The small group was making its way to library, where miss succubus was loudly arguing with her friend Witch. The scantily clad mayor of Succubus Village was standing up, angrily pointing at her friend who was still calmly sipping tea.

"I mean, when did you think that becoming a magical girl would be good? We would definitively have appreciated your help back then!"

Witch remained calm, slowly pouring tea in her hat, which seemed to appreciate the hot beverage as a tentacle extended to lap it. "I told you, I apologize. If I knew that the village was going to be attacked at that precise moment, I would have remained here to protect you. However, my fortunes were talking about an opportunity for growth. So I thought that was the ideal challenge for me. Also, I wanted to break away from potatoes."

"They're delicious and nutritious! Don't try changing the subject!" The mayor calmed down when she noticed the small bandits. "Oh hey, what are you children doing here?"

"How do we attract men when we don't have breasts?"

Succubus chuckled awkwardly, until she realized they were serious.

"Oh, really? Don't worry about it, you've time to grow, and you're certainly too young to worry ending as a Christmas cake." The small bandits were looking at the succubus mayor with puppy eyes. She sighed and maternally passed her hand in Vanilla's head. "But if it's that important to you, attracting someone is as much in the manner as in your body itself. However, I'm not even sure you'll have to rely on seduction to be successful when I see how skilled you are already."

"But how are we going to be good monsters if we're not attractive?"

"Oh, so that's what it's about! Being a monster is not always about being the sexiest! Look around you!" Witch glared at her. "So don't worry about it. I mean, you already are all engaged in careers: Vanilla is known in the merchant world, Teeny is starting to get a reputation amongst the queens as a professional hostess, Papi is already an excellent smith, and Gob…" She looked at the small goblin, trying to think of something. "You're an excellent messenger. So to conclude, breasts are not needed for sexiness, and sexiness is not needed for success. You can reach summits with your skills alone if you talk to the right persons and work hard."

Witch was struggling with her hat, which was trying to drink the hot water straight from the tea pot. "Also, if you don't force everybody to eat potatoes."

Succubus scowled at the acerb answer from her friend. "Oh, sorry if I am concerned about the well being of the village and want to get sure we never starve."

"I don't blame your regard, just… Have you ever considered, I don't know, growing anything else?"

Succubus got up and left, visibly angry.

"Hey, wait!" Witch turned toward the kids and awkwardly smiled. "Just… remember what she meant. There's always more than one solution if you want to reach a certain goal. And just because you have found one solution doesn't mean you should stop looking for others. And when you focus fully on one thing… bad things happen. So don't forget your craft, but don't forget to learn other things too!"

The succubus soothsayer left in a hurry, calling after her friend. The Four Bandits looked at each other. Gob grimaced.

"Sooo, should we see anyone else?"

"Oh, I know!" Vanilla jumped up and down excitedly. "We'll ask the Vampire Queen! She loves me and she lived for centuries! I'm sure she has an answer for us!"

* * *

The four Bandits reached the back of the library, which was the usual place where the Vampire Queen and her minion hung out. However, it appeared the queen was missing, only leaving her two lieutenants, Carmilla and Elizabeth. The former noticed Vanilla and her friends approaching.

"My! If it isn't Alucart! What can I do for you?"

"Do you know where the queen is?"

"She's currently sleeping in the basement and asked to not be disturbed by anyone. You wanted to see her for a particular reason?"

"Actually…" Vanilla looked at both vampires in front of her. Elizabeth was standing proudly, wearing her trademark monocle, while Carmilla herself was nonchalantly leaning on a stack of book. "I want to know what makes for a good monster."

"Oooh, you're looking toward you future, huh? But you know, you shouldn't restrain your ambition like that. You shouldn't aspire to be a good monster. You should aspire to be the best. You must be powerful, sexy, and always be at the top of what you do." Carmilla looked at her younger counterpart. "As a merchant, you must always aspire to be above all the others. Of course, vampires are the best monsters that will ever walk this ball of dirt. It's because we all have these qualities naturally, and we also strive to be noble and powerful." She started parading and wiggling herself in front of her audience. Elizabeth grimaced in front of her friend's attitude.

"And being noble means always maintaining a minimum amount of decorum and not parading yourself like a cheap succubus in a whorehouse."

Carmilla glared at Elizabeth. "Are you jealous because you don't have anything to show off?"

Elizabeth haughtily chuckled. "Please! Like I have anything to hear from a lazy do-nothing like you!"

"You didn't answeeer!" The pink haired vampire responded in a sing song voice.

Elizabeth sighed. "I don't even want to lose time discussing the matter. When it comes to lays, the only reason you beat me is because you both go for everyone and are too merciful on them." She haughtily put the palm of her hand toward the ceiling. "I am not like a dog that goes for anything that's available."

"Ohoh?" Carmilla pushed up her chest with her arm. "Are you sure it's not something else? You know, if you drank more milk…"

"That's it!" Elizabeth got up and lunged at Carmilla. Both of them clawed at each other in a frenzy, leaving the visitors dumbfounded.

The small group slowly backed up out of the room as the two vampires started fighting like cats. Once they were out, Vanilla was looking down at the ground in shame. Knowing the queen put her on the same level as the two others did seem like the ultimate gift she had been given until that very moment.

Gob looked awkwardly at her. "Soo… Is there anyone else we can see for some valuable advice?"

"Oh! I know! We can see lady Shirohebi! She's worshipped as a goddess and is insanely wealthy. Maybe she'll tell us how we can be successful."

The other members of the Four Bandits approved, and the group started moving toward the bar.

* * *

The group could easily see the white lamia from afar. She was sitting at the bar, served regularly by Barbun. The empty bottle of Yamatai sake was a silent testimony to her long time presence at this place, as she was wallowed on the counter.

The bartender smiled warmly when the kids arrived. "Oh hey there! Do you want anything?"

"We wanted to talk to miss Shirohebi."

The white lamia groaned and slowly turned toward them. She smiled at them, but ended up more creepy than reassuring, and she wobbled a few times on her chair.

"Yesss? Do you want anything from me? I'm open, as long as you're not here to ask for money…"

"Actually, we wanted to know how to be successful and how to get as much money as you."

Shirohebi chuckled awkwardly and hiccupped before answering. "I was born in it. As to how my family acquired it… One great grandmother was the best performer in traditional eastern dances that the world had seen, and it was when those were considered the top of the fashion. She traveled through the whooole world, and danced for queens and kings alike." Her face flushed. "She also danced the horizontal tango with a few of them if you catch my drift. Anyway, she got paid a fortune and some of it got invested in Yamatai and other places to bring in even more money." She emptied her current drink and slammed the glass on the counter. "And before you ask, I have some use for it, so no, I don't have fifty thousand coins for candies!"

She looked at the surprised bandits for a second before smiling sadly. "Sorry for my… misplaced outburst. When it comes to money, you're more serious than way too many of the castle's inhabitants!" She ended her sentence turned toward a wall. A small clicking tongue noise and a "tch!" could be heard. "Anyway, I'm sorry, I'm just under a lot of pressure, you remember I have to find another lamia queen, and even after so much time I still didn't find anything. My great grandmother was a legend that brought fame and fortune to the family, and here I am, stuck searching for a queen, with a responsibility I don't want. Know this, kids. Enjoy your time as people don't keep heaping responsibility on you and make you feel worthless, and break your lives with petty idiocies, and…"

The white lamia eventually passed out as she kept ranting. The Four Bandits looked at each other in front of the snoring miko, not knowing what to do of their experience so far. Teeny philosophically scratched her chin.

"You know what? I think that we should not always look up to adults. We thought they got their ideas in order. They don't. They're only pretending they do."

Every one of the four bandits nodded solemnly, as if it was the most valuable wisdoms for the ages. Eventually, Gob looked at the others.

"Wanna go play in the Forest of Spirits? I'm sure Sylph will welcome us!"

The bandits all agreed and left, taking a break from the worries of the future.


	34. Story 34: Predatory pain

"For the last time, I apologize, but I don't have any small medals to give to you, and I wish to be left alone…"

Minelli was enclosed in her chest. The mimic girl was trying to hold her rage against her interlocutor back. Attacking the Grand Noah Queen could only lead to troubles: First, she was one of the more popular residents in the castle, and secondly, her skills were dangerously above her own. Even a surprise attack was likely to end badly for her.

"I couldn't help but notice that every mimic was carrying around a small medal for a reason. I only wish to collect them, and I am ready to pay a good price."

"I already gave mine to Luka when he recruited me." She sighed. "Now please, go ask Amira, she gave ten of those to the little hero."

"I apologize for disturbing you then." The queen bowed. "I will see by myself if she has anything for me."

The mimic girl came out of her chest when the queen's step reached the stairs leading outside the cavern that made for her usual hangout in the Pocket Castle. She could feel her stomach rumbling. A part of her wanted to jump at the first monster to eat her, but her brain kept telling her that this was an awful idea once more. After several minutes of angsting over hunger, she decided to go for the armory. Maybe someone would fall for her trap there. That way, she justify herself with saying that it happened in the heat of the moment.

A few hours later, she was in the armory, closed, her trap ready to spring. She heard some noises from time to time, but nobody was apparently curious about the chest that recently appeared here. Actually, the more she stood there, the more she felt like people were actively avoiding getting anywhere near her. After a while, she felt someone actually coming to her chest. The heat was increasing gradually, as her new potential target was getting closer and closer. Based on what she could feel, it probably was a powerful monster, which would mean she could feed on a lot of energy… However, her target kept itself just out of her optimal attack range. The monster remained there for one minute, two minutes, before her voice resounded in the room.

"You know nobody is going to fall for that, right?"

Minelli tried to leap at her target. Unfortunately, she was fully extended mid air when she noticed said monster was a fire covered Salamander. The Fire Spirit nonchalantly stepped back, letting the mimic fall down head first ungraciously on the hard, rocky floor. After a minute, the chest monster looked up at the Fire Spirit. Salamander was looking down on her, with her arms cross and a mix of scorn and sadness in the eyes.

"This is the kind of thing that I expect from a young monster, not from someone who's been travelling with us for months. Besides, I don't think Luka would appreciate having you eat one of his allies." The spirit grinned. "Also, I'm indigestible. You can ask… way too many monsters on the matter actually."

"Gah! This is impossible! What am I supposed to eat then?"

"Have you considered non-sentient food?" Salamander was giving the mimic a sidelong glance. While a part of her wanted to help the mimic only if to avoid another petty conflict in the bowels of the Pocket Castle, another wanted to just let her reap what she was trying to sow. The latter option was tempting, but the Fire Spirit was afraid that her victims might end up including one of the younger monsters. Those were quite naïve, but they had a lot of potential, and, more than all, a desire to better themselves that was sorely lacking in quite a few of their elders. "The Pocket Castle has some of the best cooks that walk this world. I don't understand why you'd hunt for a random monster in a cavern when you can get the best steak around for almost free."

"But where's the joy of seeing your victims struggle when they dissolve?! It's so boring!"

Salamander looked at the chest monster dumbfounded, blinking twice before the realization finally hit her. "I forgot what this was really about… Look, I do understand the thrill of the fight and the bliss that come with exercising the right of the victor, but what you're doing…" She shook her head disapprovingly. "At least don't target allies or innocents. I can understand that it's difficult for predatory monsters to live with Luka who's a goody two-shoes. In fact, I'm surprised that so many joined without realizing that it more or less meant giving up on eating other people alive. I have more to tell you on this, but let's go to the dining room first."

The strange duo started wandering toward the back of the castle. On the way, Salamander kept lecturing the mimic, which started to get on the chest monster's nerves. On their path, they had to push away a few of the cobwebs that had started filling the castle.

"Look, I know you would be fine with just satiating your hunger, but you should learn the discipline required to overstep this hunger. It would serve you in battle to surprise your opponent."

"Bah! Why should I bother? It's not like I accompanies the hero much in his travel! He only took me to explore that damn technological temple and a few caves!" Minelli looked around her all the while, more bothered than anything by the spirit's words

"First, even if you are on the bench, you should never let your instinct control you. And second, most predatory monsters managed to restrain themselves. You don't want to be the ugly little duckling because you couldn't, do you?"

"...No." The chest monster left silently. She looked ashamed, but her behavior made it clear that she just wanted to get away from the Fire Spirit. Salamander decided to let it slide, and to exploit her free time to check on how the monsters in the arena were doing. That young silver kitsune showed much promises, but needed a little push, and her seniors were having difficulties with her.

On her way there, she had to regularly remove cobwebs. Did nobody make the effort to maintain the place? There were a few monsters who were oriented toward housekeeping, but with the sheer number of mouths to feed, it was no surprise that they had difficulties keeping the castle clean.

When the Fire Spirit reached the barracks, she noticed a distinct lack of clashing metal, and several monsters were discussing near the entrance leading to the caverns. Said entrance looked barricaded by a thick barrier of strings. A sudden feeling of fear seized Salamander's heart.

"What's happening? Why is nobody training.

Izuna, the fox samurai turned toward the newcomer. As usual, most of her face was concealed by one of her tail, but even then, Salamander could clearly tell that the kitsune was not happy with the current situation at hand.

"Spider Princess is once again trying to catch preys within the castle's inhabitants. Her behavior had been tolerated so far as she told Luka she would reform herself after he beat her, but I guess it had the value of a drunkard's oath. We caught her trying to grab Kitsu and Kamuro. We freed them before she could do anything but she left them and barricaded herself in the caves."

Salamander snarled. Way to lead by example. She recomposed herself. Even amongst monsters, spiders were a particularly predatory specie and were looked down upon for this reason. Spider Princess further pushed them in their direction, inviting them to indulge in devouring anyone and further driving the specie down the path of isolation. The only thing she had going for her were raw martial skills, which were enough to give her access to the insect queen throne, but didn't allow her to keep it in any way. She had been ousted by the others, and Luka supported their decision.

The Fire Spirit gestured for everyone to move away from the silk wall blocking the way to the caverns down below. This was not mere thread, but a magically woven material reinforced by the skills of its maker. A single thread would be able to block a sword blow, and a wall like that could endure several hours under attack. Focusing herself, Salamander aimed a concentrated beam of fire at where she guessed the door frame was. Gradually, the web there disappeared, and she proceeded to cut a doorway through the web. The wall itself fell down without burning, confirming its magical nature. The hall behind it was unnaturally dark and was once again filled with cobweb. None of the numerous soldiers present considered the idea to rush inside. Izuna threw a talisman which lit up the path, but even then, visibility in the hallway was almost nonexistant.

"So much for the truce." Salamander looked at Victoria. The silver angel was swinging her sword, readying herself to unleash divine justice on the offending monsters. She herself was hesitating between signaling the situation to Luka or Mephisto and letting them sort this out, or go in herself to give Spider Princess a much needed lesson and to keep the illusion that everything in the castle was always going well.

"Wait. Come shield me up just in case." Salamander leaned toward the entrance while the valkyrie positionned herself in front of her and assumed a defensive stance. "Come out Spider Princess! We can talk about it, or get you humiliated once again! So please, step out now!"

There were no answer for a minute. Noticing a sudden glint in the darkness, Victoria raised her shield and summoned a barrier to protect the ones behind her. The atmosphere suddenly felt heavy as time in her immediate vincinity slowed down, before a few small projectiles bounced on the shield. At the same time, a cold, sadistic laughter echoed in the darkness. Said laughter ceased as soon as Salamander threw a fireball into the darkness. She sighed, as it was confirmed Spider Princess was once again out of control.

Salamander looked behind her, and saw that around twenty monsters were now waiting behind her, expecting to see what would happen next. The hallway looked like a deathtrap and spiders were great at fighting into confined spaces. A direct assault could lead to actual deaths, which was the last thing everybody present wanted to happen. She looked at valkyrie when a strategy started building itself in her head: If a few fire magi incinerated every web systematically while protected, the spiders would find themselves cut off. A few other monsters behind could put out possible fire should they grow out of control.

When she put her plan in action, the group progressed slowly and was sporadically attacked by rogue spider girls. They easily managed to neutralize them when they didn't surrender immediately. There also were a few other preadtory monsters supporting the movement, but they gave up as soon as they noticed the seriousness of the situation. The more the group progressed, the clearer it was that their opponent had no real strategy in their fighting. Soon enough, Spider Princess was cornered. She tried riposting by using a few talismans, but was instantly countered by the wave of attacks that came from her opponents. Barely a second later, she was laying down with Victoria's sword at her throat.

As the group watched over Spider Princess, several monsters came by to heal the wounded, scold their kin for their reckless behavior or clean the damages done. While the fight was barely a skirmish with only a few wounded, it had brought up a buried issue to the surface. Eventually, a frowning Mephisto arrived in front of Spider Princess who glared at the unofficial regent. THe yoma gestured at Victoria to invite her to take a rest after the fight, which the latter graciously accepted.

"I don't think your bethroted would approve of your little tantrum should he learn of it." Spider princess turned down her gaze, ashamed. "But he didn't hear about it yes. Now, would you kindly care enough to explain what by the Six were you trying to do?"

Spider Princess snarled. "You would never understand. We're predators! We feed on the weak! If we were successful, we would have feasted on them!"

"And then?"

"And then what?"

The two monsters looked at each other silently for a minute before the realization hit Mephisto. The yoma inhaled longly before launching herself in a tirade in a sing song voice, smiling all the while. "And then should you and your co-conspirators have been successful, you would have gotten a few preys. Then everyone in the castle would have turned on you, with your bethroted first and foremost as he would have seen that as a sign that he could no longer trust you. I was about to say that you would have been kicked out, but I'm pretty sure that what would remain of you after that would fit in a flask. A small one."

Spider Queen inhaled as she prepared a scathing retort, but she gradually deflated as the realization hit her. She got the Arachne Queen throne by pure force, was denied the Insect Queen one by someone stronger, and was living under that someone's rule. She never was much of a strategist. Her reaction didn't escape Mephisto's eye who hesitated to hammer the nail further down, but decided to actually throw her a bone.

"You are right on one point though. There are a lot of predatory monsters living in the castle, and there's a noteworthy minority who's displeased with the current handling of the situation. While most moved on and are happy with the hiqh quality meals prepared, there are a lot that are having difficulties handling that change in management." Mephisto turned away dramatically while raising her voice for all to hear. "So here's my offer. We will get sure that Luka never hears about that small incident and that you and the more unrestrained monster got a chance to feed. In the meantime, we'd like to develop our supplies of silk and maybe get some on the market to fill the castle's coffers."

Spider Princess recoiled with a disgusted expression. "You want me to give away a part of my body like a slave?!"

"Consider this a reimbursement for what you've done, as well as an occasion to think over what you did."

The arachnoid monster thought over the situation. This was disgracing, but she wanted to stay close to her bethroted at all cost. Eventurally, she relented, clearly unhappy with the deal she was offered.

"Very well, I accept."

"Good." In that case, I will let you reflect on what you've done.

As soon as Mephisto started leaving, Salamander got close to her. "That's wrong on so many levels."

Mephisto smiled at Salamander. "Yes it is. But this is the only way to placate them. We'll have to talk with the hero when the occasion present itself about issues with predatory monsters in the castle."

"I don't even know why he accepted them in the castle! I mean, he never brought some of them on his adventure! There's no reason besides the one that they're monster girls."

Mephisto raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me that Luka would have recruited them just for the off chance that he wants to see the pleasures they can offer?"

Salamander and Mephisto looked at each other. They thought the situation through and thorough, and had to admit the evidence.

There were no other reason.


	35. Story 35: What if Micaela dealt with it?

**A simple premise: What if Micaela survived her encounter with Gnosis atop Mt Amos thanks to Luka's help, and then decided to join him after he already recruited some less than savory characters?**

**How would she react to the craziness that is probably going on in the Pocket Castle? How would she interact with the various residents? Can the wise and straight minded seraph survive the zaniness of the world around her without going insane?**

**The answer just below.**

* * *

Micaela woke up in an unfamiliar looking room. The cold stone surrounding her didn't look like the insides of one of Heaven's buildings, and it wasn't the wood that walled her house in Enrika since she fell thirty years ago. She remembered joining Luka after the latter's group nearly sent Gnosis to oblivion, and had a long discussion with some people she would never imagine having to talk with, whether it was a poorly disguised Black Alice, that malicious Yoma Mephisto, or a smaller, weakened version of herself and Ilias.

She already felt a headache rising as she went to her private bathroom. As she looked at herself in a mirror, the seraph appreciated the sheer effort that damn fox put into making accommodating rooms in this Pocket Dimension. A part of her wondered what plan needed a work so titanic, but she considered she had more important things to care about right now.

Micaela slowly exhaled, trying to relax herself as she planned what she was going to do. While her skills alone allowed her to deal with most monsters without issues, it was her strategic acumen that had saved her from ending up as a toy for the Six Ancestors during the Great Monster war. Plans don't survive at the contact of the enemy, but neither does the unconscious.

First, she'd need to learn more about Luka's adventures from a reliable source. Mephisto was skilled at accumulating knowledge about other, but the yoma herself acknowledged that she was devious by nature. Even the Grand Noah queen, whom she worked for, had been wary of the yoma's intention from the beginning of their collaboration, and was still alert around the yoma today. She realized that asking for more information from the latter would be a good start, since she was the least influenced of the four leaders.

Micaela hoped that by learning more about what Luka did on the road, she would find out how he managed to recruit such a large team and his motivations behind it. She knew enough about Monsterkind at large to guess that most of them joined either by respect for his strength and wanted for a chance to hone their skills, or just because they wanted to explore the world. But what about the more… colorful residents of the castle? Even as she mentally looked at her options, there was no decent reason for Black Alice to join them, and for Morrigan… Every reason the seraph could think of involved typical succubus activities. Sometimes done to her nephew. Micaela snarled at the mental image that appeared in her mind. She calmed her breathing as she focused once again, now was not a time where she could let her anger let the better of her. She didn't even see the succubus yes, and she was already getting on her nerve…

As a whole, she wanted to know what she was getting in and what should be her next step. She joined the hero on his suggestion and because he shared her goal of defending the world by external threats, but it really happened on the heat of the moment to make her disappear from those otherworldly angels's sight for a moment. And now, she needed to really focus on what to do next about it. Furthermore, she was having a growing doubt about how much Luka was in control. With so many monsters around, it wasn't hard to imagine him giving in to temptation, which could prove a problem should he become addicted to it.

Now that everything was planned, it was time to hunt for information. She checked her equipment one last time. The Sword of Heaven was still ready to be used. She didn't think that anyone would try attacking her, but the first seraph didn't survive for so long by leaving anything to chance. Cautiously, she stepped out of her room into an empty corridor. If she remembered correctly, the royal room where the Grand Noah queen was the most often regularly hanging out was on the last floor, near the laboratories…

* * *

The Grand Noah queen was drinking tea alone in the room reserved for royal guests. Accompanying Luka on his adventure had been an enjoyable but physically exhausting experience, and she also managed to increase her collection of small medals. Running around in the mud and being thrown in a raging sea were small, acceptable prices to pay for that.

But now was a time for relaxation. She'd have to check on that spy network Mephisto and Amira were working on, but she deserved that little rest for now. She leaned back on her chair and started enjoying the tranquility, when the sound of metal scrapping against wood pulled her out of her reverie. Of course, someone had to come her see now.

With a little bad luck, it would be Mephisto informing her that a few succubi couldn't control themselves and that everybody was in need of her authority to stomp the matter. They had three (or four, considering the strange duo) queen class succubi supposed to rein them in, and yet, they were one of the races that created the most troubles… In fact, said _leaders_ were more often than not the source of trouble.

She closed her eyes and sighed in relief when she recognized Micaela. The seraph raised an eyebrow upon seeing her reaction, which made the queen realize what she did could be badly interpreted.

"My sincere apologies, the last days have been pretty exhausting and I was afraid a matter required my immediate intervention."

"Actually… I'd like to learn more about Luka's adventure from you."

The queen had a small hiccup, taken aback by the request that was just emitted by the seraph. "I'm surprised you decided to ask me in particular... I mean, I would gladly answer your questions and tell you all you want to know about Luka's adventures… but why me, of all people?"

"Because you're one likely one of the least biased person in the castle. Most monsters have a tendency to go into too much details, I know my fellow angels well enough to know their stories will turn into rants against monsters, and most of the remaining humans have a familial bias that will twist their tales.

"Fair enough." The queen snapped her fingers. The next minute, a Scylla maid slithered toward the duo with a platter, and placed a cup of tea in front of Micaela before serving the duo. Both of them nodded, silently thanking the monster for her service before getting back to the matter at hand.

"I think I should start by telling you about Luka's role in one of the more important events: The invasion of the world by the Monster Lord."

_This whole situation started right after the hero discovered that the Lilith Sisters and Tamamo No Mae were the ones behind Grangold. We were celebrating the end of the war as we should when the Monster Lord projected herself in front of everyone and declared her intention to start an extermination war against humankind as well as monsters supporting us. We interrupted the banquet and everybody left to prepare for the upcoming attacks, and the next day… Nothing happened. There was not a single sign of the Monster Lord forces, it was as if she forgot she declared a war. We didn't, however, and we all started reinforcing our strategic positions. _

_In the meantime, Luka's help was requested by the King of Grangold to help with a few growing matters in the center of the Gold region. This makes the subject of another story, but the hero acted in a way that was expected of him, and managed to clear those situations with minimal troubles. Eventually, he managed to reach the Tartarus located in the Nightmare Wastes. Of course, the Monster Lord's armies attacked the moment the hero was away… Even today, Mephisto couldn't tell if it was an unfortunate coincidence or exactly what the Monster Lord was waiting for. Luckily, Luka could still come back instantly at that precise moment, and we had spent the last few days preparing for the upcoming fight. We were outclassed by the armies sent: San Ilia was drowned by a tide of mermaids, Grangold was getting trapped by the arachnes, vampires were at Sabasa's throat, and Grand Noah's resistance was a breeze for the elves and the fairies. We noticed another anomaly in her plan at this point, because she had decided to focus her assaults where our forces were the strongest. She didn't spare a single resource to attack a less strategically important but more vulnerable location._

_Fortunately, Luka managed to strike at their leader each time, and monsters are prone to panic when the strongest ones are taken down. He proceeded to save every major cities one after the other. Barely afterward, he proceeded to a counterattack against each of the four queen class monsters that attacked us, which temporarily ended the war. Once again, we were surprised to find out that the Monster Lord didn't send backup, considering she has a powerful rapid deployment team available at a moment's notice…_

_Since then, said queens had tried their best to atone and take responsibilities for the harm done, but the damage in relationship between humans and monsters was done._

_The only thing Luka was left to do at that point was supposedly taking down the Monster Lord, which would require bringing back the garuda girl. It birthed a whole new lot of issues, but that's another problem entirely._

"This was the point we reached before Luka took an opportunity to restart everything. As to why he did it… He decided to stay silent on the matter."

Micaela leaned back on her chair as the queen ended her tale. She blinked fast repeatedly, surprised by what she just heard.

"This is… strange. I don't know the Monster Lord personally, but… I know more than enough about Tamamo who raised her to be able to tell that she would definitively have acted against this downright suicidal strategy. And the Monster Lords are supposedly educated enough to avoid such reckless assaults."

"On that we agree. And both the attacking queens and Mephisto was kept out of the loop, so they couldn't explain what was on the Monster Lord's mind either."

"I don't think anyone could be able to. Save for the ones that are now advising her, nobody can guess what is she thinking."

"Actually…" The queen cringed. "One of those people is currently in the castle."

Micaela sighed as the realization hit her. "Morrigan. Of course. How could I not think of her?"

"I apologize, I know well enough how angels don't see eyes to eyes with succubi, and I heard enough about both of you to know that you may have an actual history together, but we never took the opportunity to get a more developed explanation from her, beyond that it was their way to save the world."

"It's fine. I thank you for your time and will try to see if I can get her to open up by myself. I should talk to her as soon as possible, but I guess a part of me wanted to never have to deal with those damn succubi again."

The queen looked sympathetically at the seraph as the latter got up. "She's often at the bar. I wish you the best then. You'll need it."

Micaela silently thanked the queen and started making her way to the bar.

* * *

"So. I am asking you this question for the umpteenth time, and I want a clear answer this time."

Morrigan was glaring at Lilith and Lilim. The twins kept playing games of logic at her own expense to avoid answering her questions, which was starting to grate the nerves of the succubus.

"What kind. Of succubus. Was named Morrigan? I want to know what legacy my name carried. Is it that difficult to understand?"

"No, but we told you that Morrigan was the name given to lively and spirited succubi in reference to you."

"That means reckless and thick headed!"

The blond twins tried looking at the source of the voice, but nothing could help them identify the offender amongst the numerous monsters currently enjoying themselves. When they looked again at Morrigan, the blue haired succubus was fuming, and her aura was slowly flaring up while her tail was rising and pointing forward, uncannily reminding any onlooker of a scorpion preparing to strike. Fortunately, Lilith managed to find a solution to placate her interlocutor.

"Look at it that way. Lilith was a name given to exceptional succubi, but those were seen as dangerous predators by humans and a lot were killed through history. Astaroth was preferred for the ones who were calmer, but I remember hearing about a few of them starving because they were too passive. And so, succubi who were more active were called Morrigan in deference to you as you are extremely lively, but some of them also had difficulties holding themselves back. I remember a human philosopher saying that one's greatest quality could also be his worst weakness."

"Oh yes, I think it was Remian Orlen or something like that?" Lilim raised a hand at her mouth while looking at the ceiling.

Her sister sighed. "No, it was Bill Stillsword. Remian Orlen was the guy that hosted us when we were during our undercover trip in San Ilia."

"Oh yes, shame he had to be committed. I think we got carried away a few times too many with him."

Morrigan looked at Lilith and Lilim, and decided to finally get rid of them. "Speaking about guys, huh? I remember hearing Sara saying that she was not happy to have found her commander slumped against the wall after being drained. I heard she asked for the support of Sphinx to deal with the issue once and for all."

Lilith & Lilim looked at each other awkwardly before jumping toward the exit, half running half flying. "We're leaving now bye!"

Morrigan found herself alone, and started feeling an all too familiar craving raising deep inside her. Her sessions with the hero were satisfying, but too sparse for her taste. Maybe she should tempt him the next time he passed by. Meanwhile, she commanded a parfait to eat to compensate. Sweet, luxurious food helped her calm that hunger for energy, and it would be a shame to not enjoy the work of the Pocket Castle's cooks.

When it arrived, the succubus instantly started gulping it down fast. Her sisters always reproached her to not take her time to enjoy her food, but she didn't care. The stray thought about her family made her miss their company for a split second. Still, if her flapping wings and swishing tail were any indication, she enjoyed gorging herself on the delicious ice cream, until a voice called her from behind.

"Morrigan?"

The succubus groaned as she turned toward the interrupter, ready to tear her apart. "What do you-ooooh it's you. Fuck."

The succubus's wings lowered themselves and her tail went limp. Micaela was looking at her with stern blue eyes, awakening several bad memories in the latter's mind. She looked around her for help, but nobody reacted to the presence of the seraph.

"We need to talk." Micaela invited herself and sat on the chair in front of the succubus. "I want to know more about some of the things you did."

Morrigan grinned awkwardly and scratched her neck nervously. "Look… About what we did with Luka a few weeks ago-."

"I do NOT want to know what you did with my nephew!"

The room fell silent for a split second before Micaela realized she had screamed and slammed the table. Her face reddened for a second, but fortunately, everyone returned to their activity as if nothing happened. The seraph calmed down and looked at Morrigan straight in the eyes, challenging the will of the succubus.

"The Grand Noah queen told me about the invasion of the world by the Monster Lord's forces. Since we couldn't make head or tail of what happened, we supposed the plan came from you and your sisters… Could you enlighten us on the matter?"

"Correct! This plan was Lilith's idea. But I already heard that little ruler's version enough times to know she didn't tell you everything. So let's get started!" The succubus's enthusiasm was worrying the seraph.

_But first things first. It was faaaar from our first plan. At first, we tried killing key characters like the Sabasa King and other dangerous figures. However, the apoptosis don't like it when people from different world interact too much, and every death generated so many ripples, so much chaosization and so much apoptosis attacks that we pretty much gave up after the third or fourth. We kept testing a few things here and there, and found out that they were more forgiving when we limited those interactions, hence why we started influencing people behind the scenes._

_So we made due with the Grangold King, pushed him a little over the edge, and started a war between this kingdom and the three others because it could have have happened in true history. It was a win-win situation. Either they resisted and it was a bloody stalemate, or they gave up and we invaded and killed everyone!_

_Oh yeah, I should have talked about why it's a good thing first, huh? Well, we found out about how Ilias manages her heroes. Their souls get transferred to her for "evaluation", and then she sends them back to their body and rewind the time a little. So we basically use that, but instead of sending the soul back to the same planet, we transfer it to our world so that it can fuse with the same guy there!_

_Anyway, Luka broke it, so we decided it was time for a full frontal assault. We didn't want a victory, we wanted the bloodiest conflict possible. So to fuck this up, we did three things: Leave time for them to prepare, focus on the heavily defended capitals and their leaders, and specifically have the assault led by queens that hated humans for a reason or the other and did betray the Monster Lord in the true history. Worst case scenario, four less liabilities. Best case scenario, everyone's dead._

…_Except Luka screwed us once again, and the body count remained exceedingly low. Still, we ended up bailing him out a bit later because his death would just end us fucking up everything. I ended up weakened because of it and I joined the hero's party to help him and hoping to make him see us in a better light. Afterward, he decided to restart his adventure for a stupid reason if I remember correctly._

"Yeaaah, I know what you're thinking. Lilith would have been a better choice to convince him… But she still considers him as below her. Anyway, what do you think?"

Micaela joined her hands in front of her face and slowly exhaled. "…So that was your whole plan… A mass genocide and use the evaluation system to transfer everyone's soul to the Monster World, all while remaining as close to true history as possible."

"Yup! Pretty crafty, huh?"

The seraph leaned over the table, locking eyes once again with Morrigan. "But tell me… what's the point?"

"Huh?"

"You kill people to transfer their souls to the Monster World, where they'll fuse with their counterpart once there. In the end, you will still have one person, who will just be feeling a little more confused with its memories… And that's not considering the difference between those two worlds that diverged around a thousand years ago, meaning that quite a lot of them won't have counterparts."

"Hey!" Morrigan raised her hands defensively. "I admit, there are kinks to work out. We weren't even sure we could originally come back when we entered this world. But now, we know that Luka can get us back home."

"And how did you intend to convince him to do everything? As much as he got a chronic hero syndrome, I have difficulties imagining him following you like a puppy. Did you have a plan to secure his loyalty? Besides seducing him like a harlot I mean."

A single drop of sweat ran alongside the succubus's cheek.

Micaela's mouth hanged slightly open in disbelief. "You have to be kidding me."

"Aww, come on, don't be like that! I'm pretty sure you'd also be dying to taste the pleasures we can offer!"

"Glad to see that even when monsters win, some things didn't change... Last question then. How do you know what was the true history and its different branches?"

"Bwuh?" Morrigan looked at the seraph wide eyed, completely clueless."

"You made your choices because they were close to the true history or were possible deviations from it. But how did you know that?"

The succubus looked cross eyed for a moment as she tried to remember.

"Yeaaaah, you better ask Tamamo No Mae for that one. Our, not the small kitty in this world."

The seraph ground her teeth. "Thanks, but I think I will pass an opportunity to visit your homeworld, as educating as it would be."

Morrigan pouted. "Aww, come on, not Even San Ilia? You have no idea about the things you would be taught…"

Micaela closed her eyes and got up. The succubus's voice ended up on an unnerving lascivious note that made her message way too obvious. It was time for her to get out of there before her martial instinct took over and tried to cleave her interlocutor in two.

"Well, I thank you for your time, and I'm going to check on my alternate self then."

"Sure! You can come back anytime you want me to do something for you. Or to you if you want."

The seraph shivered when she heard the succubus's offer. Too many bad memories about her fights with them started resurfacing… However, it looked like the succubus had settled slightly, likely at least by respect for Luka. Maybe her initial worries were misplaced after all.

She herself needed to move on right now, and decided to make her way to the chapel. Speaking to her younger self would probably help her gain more insight on what the hero did, and, of all the angels, she was the more likely to address her without either sugarcoating things, licking her boots, or insulting her for leaving Ilias. She just hoped that Eden would at least tolerate her presence. While the seraph wanted to talk furthermore with her counterpart, she definitively wanted to avoid needless bloodshed with her sister.

* * *

Micaela reached the entryway of the chapel soon enough. By the look of it, there only were a few angels in it. She could only see Eden, Micaela-chan, Cupi and Victoria. The third seraph looked angry at the duo, and was apparently scolding them near an indifferent Micaela-chan.

"I cannot believe that during that time, you two became such monster sympathizers!" The valkyrie looked wounded by the words coming from her superior.

"We only spar against them and work with them on the hero's word! We would never consider giving up on Ilias!"

"And yet, I keep seeing you going about with monsters, talking, socializing with them, treating them like something more than the scum they are!" Eden spat those words like one would throw daggers.

Victoria looked on the side, slightly ashamed. It's true she had taken a liking to sparring with monsters like that kitsune samurai or that demon yoma, and she enjoyed listening to the tales from the different queens. But there was no harm in learning more about your… enemies, right? A new, somehow familiar voice pulled her out from her train of thoughts.

"Let one be always aware of the true nature of monsters, as they defile the Goddess's creation and deviate them from a righteous life. We shall stand in front of the ones that want to harm the weak, and push them back to hell."

"Exactly! See, this fellow angel get it. It is our duty to defend-" Eden turned toward Micaela and shook her head while blinking, surprised by what she was seeing. She then slowly raised her hand while her expression slowly contorted in pure anger. "You… YOU!"

"Greetings, Eden. Still loyal to Ilias's ideals to a fault, I see."

"Quoting… Yourself… from a time when you were still a valuable ally… YOU TRAITOR!" Eden was screaming at the top of her lungs. "Tell me why I shouldn't cut you down right now!"

"Because I'm currently helping Ilias, or at least an incarnation of her, because there are rules in the castle about not attacking each other, and last because killing each other would only worsen the pain Ilias is going through." Micaela stepped in closer, not breaking her gaze away from the seraph for an instant, challenging her will.

"Or is it because of power? You're stronger than me, but I have the goddess will for me! Can you say the same?"

Micaela sighed. "As a matter of fact, yes I can. I'm still the first seraph, and you're still my sister. We both came from Ilias, but I've just chosen to walk my own path, far from…" she gestured around. "…All of this."

"Then leave! Leave out of my sight with your rage against the goddess that gave you life!"

"Not until I talked with Micaela-chan about a few things."

"Do you intend to corrupt her with your deviant teachings as well?"

"No, I want to ask her about Luka's adventure to avoid going down the wrong path."

"And by the wrong path, you mean…"

Micaela had still her eyes locked with Eden's in a contest of willpower. However, the third seraph could see a bit of sympathy that aggravated her. Eventually, she gave up and left, closely followed by Cupi and Victoria.

An awkward silence covered the chapel as the two versions of Micaela looked at each other.

"Did you want to see me for something in particular?"

"You travelled with Luka for quite a long time, and I wanted to know more about it. Specifically, about the invasion of the world by the Monster Lord's forces. I got the gist of it, but I wasn't there, and since you're the closest to think like me…"

"You wish to know more about what the enemy will do? Very well then…"

_The Monster Lord had started her attack in retaliation after Luka broke her devious plan in Grangold. Fortunately, her lacks of strategic acumen lead to a focus on where the human kingdoms built their defenses. They got pushed back up thanks by Luka's timely intervention, as he was lead by the will of Ilias, and only the ones who gave up on the goddess paid the price. With the support of the goddess he managed to push back each of the attacking armies, and eventually came to defeat each of the four cruel queens that lead the assault. All of them begged the hero for mercy, and in his generosity, he accepted to recruit them to use them against the Monster Lord and her minions._

_However, not all was well. To kill the Monster Lord and end this war once for all, the hero needed to awaken the cursed Garuda girl, and one of the hellspawns had destroyed one of the orbs required to awaken it. Guided by the omniscient goddess, the hero travelled far and wide through time and space, and managed to snatch the orb from the grip of the 8__th__ Monster Lord._

_However, before going there, the hero decided he needed more preparation, and restarted his adventure, once again guided by the Goddess._

"This is all. Luka keeps telling that he couldn't have done it without the support of the monsters he recruited on his adventure, but I am sure he won thanks to the grace of Ilias and that those monsters only held him back."

"…" Micaela swallowed loudly as she looked at her younger counterpart when the latter ended her diatribe.

_I have difficulties to believe I used to be like that. Lacking any critical thinking abilities, blindly following Ilias, hating monsters, and not a single care for anyone that didn't worship the goddess…_

"This is all I know on the matter. Next time, we shall smite the Monster lord and all who follow them, it is their destiny."

"Well, I thank you for telling me about this…" The adult seraph felt more and more uncomfortable in front of the fanatical behavior of her younger looking self. "Can you tell me more about Luka's adventures?"

"Unfortunately, not much, I accompanied him a few times, but I am not the best one when it comes to count his tales. I should take you to the most fitting resident for this job, as she accompanied him since the beginning of his adventure."

"Who is it?"

"Amira."

"Amira… That strange reverse lamia? The one that manages the intelligence in the castle? She joined Luka at the beginning?"

_The living proof that Alipheese didn't plan her creations' evolution for so long?_

"Yes. By her own words, she accompanied the hero on quite a lot of his adventure, and followed the others with a close interest."

Micaela sighed. Going by what she kept hearing, Amira made herself very important to be sure that people would not kick her out for her more than grating tendencies. "Very well. Let's go see her then."

"By the will of Ilias."

The older seraph started following her younger counterpart, hoping to have an opportunity to get her less enclosed in her worship of the goddess of light.


	36. Story 36: The Seraph listens

Micaela was cruising through the castle with her younger counterpart. She took a look once again at her reincarnated self with a lot of mixed feelings. She still had some sort of maternal attraction toward, mixed with the grief that she was still blindly following Ilias. She also wondered what and how pushed her to recreate another copy of her, and what lead to this result. Didn't she realize she was weakened when she did it? What impulse even lead her to recreate her in the first place?

After a while, the group entered the library where Amira was sitting. Even if she knew what was coming, Micaela was surprised by the appearance of the unfortunate monster, as her lower body was that of a human while her head was one of a snake. She was the living proof that the Dark Goddess had not fully panned out the possible genetic deviations in her children.

"Greetings Amira. Do you have a moment to talk?"

The reverse lamia jumped from her chair, startled. "I told you it wasn't me! I am innocent!" It took her a minute to calm down. "Ah, it's you."

"I apologize, Micaela-chan told me you were one of the best beings when it comes to counting me Luka's past adventures. Is it a wrong time?"

"Mph. No it isn't. As you may know, I was recently unjustly accused of messing with the Pocket Castle's weather system. Mephisto said she would lead the investigation team on the matter. But it should have been me! I was set up by a conspiracy that wants me gone, and I need to prove my innocence! Even today, everybody glares at me and I hear whispers in my back!"

Witch popped up from behind a book shelf. The succubus soothsayer was flicking through a book that looked like a manual about pocket dimensions while making her way to a table near the duo. "Nobody ever suspected you for more than 5 seconds. Even Morrigan held back and realized that it was a dumb setup from the get go."

Amira huffed. "Oh, then how do you explain the silent accusations? The gossiping that fall silent when I get closer? The loops I am kept locked of?"

"That would be because you scammed seven hundred fifty eight thousand four hundred and twenty three gold from the different inhabitants of the castle." Amira stared at Witch. "I learned it when asked Mephisto why she was so always so antsy around you. My point is: Stop wasting money in crazy schemes. We have children that are better at managing their funds than you."

"Tch! They're perfectly responsible, sustainable investments! I either just got unlucky or was sabotaged by someone else!"

"You tried to IMPORT potatoes in Succubus Village. We're literally suffocating under them."

"A small communication error! Besides, when it comes to bad decision, you shouldn't be one to talk! Aren't you one of those who tried to participate in the Magical Girl tournament? What would you have gained if you succeeded?"

Witch twirled on herself. "I would have become a cute magical girl."

"But look at you! There's nothing cute about you! You're way past your prime, and way too old to pretend to be a magical girl."

Micaela was having difficulty following the conversation, as the succubus soothsayer frowned at the reverse lamia. "Well, at least contrary to your harebrained plans, that would have brought me somewhere!"

"Where?"

"I don't know! I would have found out!"

Promestein's head appeared behind a bookshelf. "Actually, the only place it would have landed you in is hot water, if you allow me the expression. You'd have been a priority target by the Monster Lord's forces, which would have resulted in Granberia killing you on the spot. Should you have somehow survived, you'd have to go out in hiding, while dealing with the power of the grudges. While you are strong willed, those would have taken a toll on your sanity and your lifespan, and with what I mentioned earlier, you would have died within a few months."

Witch sarcastically spat her next words. "And how do you know that, you omniscientist?"

"I've interrogated a drunk Magical Mari-chan on the history of magical girls to know more about the possibilities offered by this power. I just summarized what happened to most of them. Don't tell me you thought there always was only one around?"

The succubus soothsayer had her mouth hanging open silently for a moment. "Ok, so I might have missed some information, but…" She pointed at Amira. "At least my plan would have lead me somewhere."

"Maybe, but that doesn't change the issue at hand." Promestein looked at both monsters. "You both fail when it comes to thinking out a plan. You have the first step, the result, and nothing in the between. And after seeing Chrome experiment so much, I wonder if this trait is inherent to monsterkind."

Both of the interlocutors fell silent for a minute. Micaela eventually facepalmed.

"This is really the end of the world when Promestein is the one who acts as the voice of reason…"

The small angel scientist repositioned her glasses. "Do you imply that I am irrational?"

"You admire the Cirque du Croix and the various chimeras, as well as the apoptosis for the scientific possibilities they open. You completely disregard the life of everyone who doesn't bring any scientific interest on the table. You created a way to transcend races that is probably making the Dark Goddess spin in her grave."

Promestein smirked. "You know she's only merely sealed in another dimension? Of all the people in the castle, I didn't expect you to be the one to make such a trivial mistake on the matter."

Micaela shuddered. "It was a figure of speech. I do know that she's still out there, yes, and that makes it even worse. I don't want to be anywhere near you when that seal decides to break. I might end up dead before soon if that happens, but you… you don't want to know what she does to those that insulted her legacy."

Promestein inhaled as she prepared a scathing response to the land dweller, but she gave up when she saw Micaela-chan whispering something to her older self before leaving. Telling there wasn't anything that could break the seal would sound hollow when your auditory included a recreated seraph that strolled between dimensions and her older self.

"You're right. I better make sure we're correctly prepared. I must extend the scope of my work."

"Wait! That's not what I meant!"

Promestein left, soon followed by Witch who was shouting her concern as the duo left. Amira haughtily clicked her tongue. "With that out of the way, we can finally get started. I have a lot of epic, thrilling adventures about yours truly."

"I'm all ears."

_I have the feeling this is going to be interesting._

* * *

_My very first involvement with the hero before I became a key element in his team was in Iliasburg. He even chased for me, as I was travelling the world, gathering information on the latest events happening. Some badmouthers would say that I ended up in a trash can after losing all my money in gambling, but don't listen to those storytellers! I was only doing my work at the time. Anyway, he came to me saying he was looking for the White Rabbit. However, at that time, I couldn't give out this information freely to someone who wasn't part of the information guild, and he couldn't come up with the fee. Fortunately, he could be accepted in the guild himself if he supported me in dismantling a phoenix tail dismantling ring which found its source in slums beyond the mountains._

_He diligently made way, guided from afar by my words and reached those infect slums. I learned later that he managed to use the skills I taught him and found out that it was the work of Don Dahlia, the local crime boss. Once again, he managed to use the skills he acquired to deceive her and freed the young imprisoned phoenix girl that was the Don's source of revenue. Cowardly, Don Dahlia fled in front of this heroic action._

_After I welcomed Luka back back and tutored him fittingly, I gave him the information he desired so adamantly. The bunny girl was seen going south east, toward the small village of Pornof. A detestable Hamlet filled with nothing but perverts. However, it appeared whoever reported me the whereabout of the White Rabbit had made a mistake, and the beast monster present was only one of the bunny girl usually roaming the region. I was made a fool of, and I had to suffer degradations from Luka's partners. However, I resolved myself to atone for this mistake, and decided to join him to let him have access to my network of informants. And this is how I joined this group and started sharing my skills._

"Sooo… Luka chased for you around, when he found you, you basically tried to suck his money dry, and then had him do your dirty job and risk himself in your place when he couldn't, to eventually send him in a wild goose chase because of faulty intelligence, before joining him because his companions threatened to break your knees. Did I get any of that wrong?"

"Tch!" Amira recoiled, wounded. "Are you here to listen to my stories, or to judge them? I only tell you what happened!"

Micaela closed her eyes and raised her hands defensively. "I apologize, but barring for those last 30 years, I lived in a place where _future tragic accidents_ was used to designate every places where monsters lived. I learnt to be sharp a little too well. That was rude of me and I'd like you to continue."

Amira clicked her tongue. Micaela could notice at this moment her younger counterpart tensing up as the reverse lamia did that. While the action was irritating, it didn't warrant such a reaction…

…Unless she kept doing it every time she talked, of course.

* * *

_The moment the hero realized my true importance only arrived way later. As we left the Tartarus located north of Sabasa, we were once again without a clear goal. Fortunately, an informant from my network informed me that the cave north leading to Port Marle had been cleared. As such, we made Grand Noah our next destination as we needed to explore the Tartarus located there. Unfortunately, our travelling kept meeting obstacle after obstacle. The way to Grand Noah was blocked by the Navy to prevent spies from the Gold region to enter, and no boat would take civilians, no matter how heroic their reputation._

_As the hero started falling into despair, I used my information gathering skills to learn about rumors. We managed to learn more about the possible involvement of the navy in town, and I personally succeeded in convincing the viceroy to bring us to the Navy's headquarters. However, as soon as we arrived, the place was under siege by an army of thousands of pirates lead by Bonnie, the descendant of the fearsome captain Roza, and Ashel, her trusty aid. I lead the hero's party heroically through the endless horde. After epic fights, we finally reached Leviathan, terrified as she was about to smitten down by Roza. She begged for her life and fell in awe in front of our power as we arrived, and as Luka cleared the way in front of me I heroically stood up to those wretched pirate lords. Fear was gripping my heart, but I knew deep down that I could deal with them. And as they realized I was the greatest threat they ever faced, they cowardly started bombarding the navy's headquarters. And as we started fighting, Ashel loudly exclaimed her intention to betray her lord and make the pirates her..._

Micaela closed her eyes and place a hand on her forehead. "Okay, stop here, I call bullshit on most of what you said. Both Luka and Leviathan are completely out of character in your story. I saw Bonnie, and she struck me as a well meaning incompetent while Ashel is her loyal supporter. but the duo would still get wrecked in a minute if they tried going at the outer sea regions. And if the pirates had an army that size, they would be a threat worse than Grangold."

"Jeh! What do you know of it?! You weren't there!"

"Keeping an eye on monsters above queen class was an important part of my old job. Now, while the _enhancements_ you brought to your story make it all the more entertaining, I would like it if it remained closer to the reality."

"Tch!" Amira clicked her tongue again. Micaela started understanding the issue with the lamia. "You have no appreciation for the arts of narration."

"I do appreciate fine art, but if you start taking artistic liberties in retelling Luka's adventures while trying to sell it to me as the unaltered truth, I'm pretty sure I could reasily find support to get you removed from the castle's premises for your bullshitery!"

"Fine! Luka wanted to go to Grand Noah, he needed a boat, the navy initially refused but said that if he took care of the Fishy Pirates, he'd be made an official navy member and be allowed to go to Grand Noah, which he all did without much trouble. Happy now?"

Micaela got up and sarcastically bowed. "Thank you. In that case… What?"

A loud whistling noise echoed through the castle. Micaela looked around her as everybody dropped down on the floor, their hands on their head. Barely a second later, an explosion from upstairs flung the seraph into a wall behind her. She tried to look around, but couldn't see the potential signs of attackers. Barely a minute later, Mephisto stepped in, followed closely by Alrauna, Laura, and a few monsters who were carrying medical equipment.

"Good grief… Again?" The yoma took notice of the wounded seraph. "Of course, you had to be at the wrong place at the wrong time." Laura instantly made her way to the victim while Mephisto ground her teeth in frustration. "We sincerely apologize for not informing you to stay away of the library when Promestein get enthusiastic. We considered creating her her own pocket dimension to experiment freely, but we're worried she would come up with another way to end the world." She looked at the hurt seraph, worried. "We sincerely hope that those wounds won't break our chance at building a relation."

"I've suffered worse way too many times. Don't worry about it." Micaela let the mermaid queen heal her. She herself would have no problem fixing these, but a part of her was happy to see that Laura left her self-imposed exile to be helpful. She thanked the monster and got up. The other monsters were already getting taken care of, and it was clear that all of them would be able to get up by the end of the day.

Eventually, she got up from her spot and looked at her already torn clothes. She made her way back to her room to change herself and sighed. She didn't expect the shenanigans of Luka's allies to be so tolling. Soon, her analytical mind was focused on what she experienced inside this place.

Her experience so far had been mixed. On the one hand, between Luka having an opportunity to reboot time the skills he had and the power of the various people he had surrounded himself with, there was no doubt that if there was a single person that could save the world, it would be him. Furthermore, the stories she heard demonstrated that he definitively had a heroic side and tried to rescue as many people as he could. On the other hand… she was surprised when she saw some of the monsters he recruited. Was he getting himself pushed over? Was it done in the heat of the moment? Or was it for THAT reason? Questioning him in the future would likely be necessary. And if Amira's stories were anything to go by, several of his allies were seriously unreliable. After all, the reverse lamia might have helped Luka, but she also had put him in danger for selfish reasons. Who know what else his more dangerous partners inflicted on him…

She realized it was only the middle of the afternoon. Even if she felt a bit tired because of the incident, she still felt a buildup of energy that required physical activity to properly evacuate. For a brief moment, but all too long to the seraph's taste, her mind drifted toward Morrigan. The succubus's presence was concerning: Even amongst the enemies she faced, the youngest of the Lilith Sister had shown a terrifying cruelty on the battlefield, and only displayed care for her sisters and the Ancestors. Even other monsters were fair games. And yet… She apparently made herself a somewhat reasonable and appreciated member of Luka's army. The seraph couldn't even tell herself if she was just putting up a good façade or if there was something genuine in the relationships they had built.

Eventually, she decided to go train in the barracks. Staying here to mop was fruitless, and she definitively needed to evacuate the growing frustration. Maybe she could teach or learn some things from the other warriors there.


	37. Story 37: The seraph learns

Once more, two swordsmen were facing on in the arena located in the Pocket Castle's barracks. On one side was Izuna, the four tailed kitsune samurai, wielding one Tsushikimoto, one of the seven legendary katanas. Against her was Micaela, the first seraph and the latest recruit in Luka's army.

Several monsters were watching the fight. A few healers were also standing by in case either warrior got carried away. Micaela got surprised that the arrival of the legendary seraph didn't create more reaction within the community, but she realized that between the fact that they already recruited Eden and travelled between worlds where they also recruited apoptosis, most of the castle's inhabitants had likely seen it all.

And so, when she stepped in the barracks with the intent to train, she was slightly surprised when the kitsune offered to challenge her in a sword fight to see her skills by herself. She thought her angelic nature and her own reputation would drive away every contender, but it was in fact quite the opposite. And so she accepted to face her in a first blood fight.

Both opponents gauged themselves. Micaela had her sword drawn, but Izuna's was still sheathed, although she had a hand on it. The seraph didn't doubt that a wrong move on her part would be countered by a serene demon sword. They kept turning around, until the kitsune lost patience and seemed to move ever so slightly her hand. Right afterward, Micaela parried a water imbued energy blade with her own sword and jumped at the kitsune, who finally unsheathed her sword for good. The blades started clashing at an impressive speed in a cacophony of steel. The seraph was impressed by the mastery the kitsune had over her weapon, the latter was parrying effortlessly her lightning strikes no matter where they came from while occasionally finding openings to attack herself. Furthermore, the small fox spirit that was accompanying her was disturbing the first seraph, who wondered if she would try anything. As it was starting to become clear that she couldn't really fight or cast spells, Micaela relaxed ever so slightly and fully focused her attention on her opponent.

However, even with those odds against her, the seraph still had the power and the experience advantages. Izuna had to lose time dodging and stepping back to avoid the seraph's strongest attacks. Micaela slashed at full strength diagonally, and the kitsune jumped back to avoid the powerful strike. The seraph pushed on the assault, forcing her opponent on the defensive and even allowing her to cast a small holy spell. As Izuna didn't react when the spell connected, Micaela realized she made a small mistake, and that the fox was likely wearing a holy resistant armor. Right as she pondered this, a few paper sheets flew by her. She instantly raised a magic barrier and managed to block the elemental rain of rock that followed. Right after this demonstration of spellcasting, the fighter's blade locked. Suddenly, the kudagitsune started talking.

"Your mother was a hamster, and your father smells of elderberries!"

"What?" Micaela raised an eyebrow in front of the small spirit's insult. This instant of surprise earned her a strike from a katana's pommel straight in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. As the kitsune prepared a vertical attack, Micaela recovered and struck her opponent in the side at lightning speed. The kitsune found herself propelled in a wall, and fell down with a gurgle and a trickle of blood coming from her mouth. Healers were already stepping in to fix the wounded fox samurai.

Micaela felt slightly ashamed of the treatment she just inflicted to her opponent, and slowly made her way to her. Nobody tried to hold her back, and even Izuna's gaze wasn't filled with fear or hatred, only a feeling of disappointment.

"I apologize for that, but what was that just now? I didn't expect one of Yamatai's samurai to resort to lowly insults."

"It is my responsibility to apologize." Izuna winced in pain as her broken ribs were magically glued back together. "You are correct in saying me that this is dishonorable." She gave her kudagitsune a stink eye. "Someone told me that insulting your opponent is a great way to distract him to get an edge."

Micaela closed her eyes. "Morrigan I presume."

Izuna silently nodded. Well, it looks like the succubus had even taken to tutoring some other monsters with her own twisted lessons. The seraph had to recognize however the effectiveness the trick suggested by the succubus had.

"Actually, you should keep doing that… Just… beware of the consequences."

Izuna raised an eyebrow in front of Micaela's statement. When the healer were done, she bowed respectfully in front of the seraph. "I thank you for your lesson. I shall train to not let myself be surprised by any opponent."

Micaela gently smiled. "You're welcome." She then decided to leave the barracks and wander around the castle a bit. A pang of concern filled her heart as her mind wandered toward the explosion that had happened earlier, and then toward Promestein, the responsible. She remembered that Ilias tolerated her because she was an indispensable pawn into the Goddess of Light's plan to reconstruct the world.

And here she was, looking younger in Luka's Pocket Castle, busy experimenting and doing science. Even if the angel scientist was not working for Ilias, Micaela didn't feel comfortable knowing that Luka was directly exposed to her. The application of the result of the effort she put in her scientific research was rarely positive, no matter what she did. It was definitively time for a little talk with her.

* * *

Promestein was already back in her laboratory after having recovered from the latest explosion she caused. The succubus witch and several other monsters were keeping an eye on her from the corner of the room to keep sure the angel scientist would not do anything dangerous, but the latter tried to reassure them that she had stopped her research on genetics today to focus on makinas. This didn't reassure anybody in the slightest. In fact, most of the people usually hanging around the laboratory ran away when they heard she wanted to study the possibility to transform some of the weapon-like makinas to give them a domestic usage.

When Micaela stepped upstairs, she could see Promestein holding the Plama scythe in front of a small bush. She was fidgeting around the device, which was connected to a strange metallic case. Seeing that she was in front of the makina, Micaela stepped away should the contraption accidentally start on its own. In the meantime, the angel scientist was thinking aloud, talking about formulas and effects to weaken the power of the weapon. After a while, she got back and pushed a button on a panel on the side.

The beam scythe started slowly glowing, and was emitting a whirring sound louder and louder. Promestein started moving away in panic, and the makina unloaded a powerful energy blade. The bush was shaved flat and put on fire, and the wall on the other side was pierced like butter. The angel scientist looked awkwardly at the seraph.

"I thought reversing the polarity would decrease its power and turn it into a trimmer to more easily take care of the vegetation. Please do not say anything to Luka."

"I will consider it. However, I didn't come to see your attempt at science-ing out the devices he acquired, but to talk about a few other things. Namely, yourself."

Promestein shrugged. "I don't have much to tell, I was an angel librarian under the responsibility of Ranuel, the great librarian. I always preferred trying to understand the world surrounding me through the scientific method rather than accepting everything as being the will of Ilias. It earned me the spite of a few angels, including the second generation seraph Zion. Eventually, I got whisked away during a small experience centered on the combination of light and dark energy to find out how the world's creation happened." She sighed. "Then I spent 200 years alone with limited equipment and only apoptosis attacks to keep me company before Luka found me. Since then, I accompanied him occasionally on his adventure, and help participating in the researches on new technologies and apoptosis.

Her interlocutor distractedly nodded before she noticed something that disturbed her. "Wait. Zion? You knew her from before? How?"

Promestein looked up while tapping her chin with a finger. "Oh yes, I come from the same world as those second generation seraph. She was kinda hot headed and had a tendency to bully me because I spent a lot of time reading and asking myself questions about the benevolence of Ilias." She shrugged. "But that was in the past."

Micaela blinked repeatedly in surprise. She then started frowning as she leaned toward Promestein, almost terrifying the small angel scientist. "Tell. Me. Everything. About this world."

The red haired angel scientist started sweating bullets under the seraph's gaze. "You don't need to do… that. I'll talk, I'll talk."

"Sorry." Micaela turned away. Promestein exhaled as the tension released. She repositioned her glasses.

"Let's get started about what interest you then. Although I'm ashamed my focus was more on participating in scientific progression than on studying how Ilias ran her world."

"Any information on the matter would be welcome, so please, fire away."

_The world is lead by Ilias from the Heaven, while the seven archangels are the one managing the regions and are reporting to the other world Micaela, who remains by the side of Ilias. The cities themselves could simply be described as grandiose. Every street is filled to the brim with marble statues of the goddess and her saints while the bells from the different churches ring day and night. Each of them took more effort to build than the last one and is more developed. Every place is perfectly illuminated to represent the watchful eye of Ilias, and this is not a figure of speech. She deliberately uses magic in several regions of the world to stick to the day phase of the cycle. This created a few issues in several regions but I disgress._

_The justice system is simple: the word of Ilias is the law. Everything is decided by the Goddess herself, and everybody must live according to the path she decided for them. In reality there is an absolutely byzantine administrative system to manage the small details, but it doesn't change the fact that stepping out of your given role is considered contesting the great plan of the goddess, and will get you demoted to a second zone citizen if you're lucky. If you're not, you will be killed or thrown into Sariela's prison. The debate is still open as to what's the worse, but I should point out that telling that there might be an error is considered going against Ilias._

_As far as I'm concerned, I'm happy right now. Ilias is not overseeing everything I do and I am not ridiculed for trying to make science progress. When I checked the books in the library, I didn't find a single information about technological innovation within the last five hundred years. It's as if the goddess was reveling in the stagnation. I theorized that she could feel threatened by the change they brought, but I never declared it openly, I didn't want to see what became of those that contested the word of the goddess myself. I worked toward solving that, but… I got taken away in strange circumstances. I don't think that they even miss me, or else, they would already be here for me after having seen me._

_But still, the people there are told they're safe under the benevolence of Ilias. The Great Monster War is now just a myth about the goddess crushing the last rebel under her heel while freeing mankind once and for all from the oppression of the Monster Girls. People now live their life as dictated by the Goddess, toil daily for her or the others, and pray every free minute. It is, has been, and will be like that until the end of time. Ilias considers her planning perfect and will never change it. _

Micaela was holding her hands in front of her face. "This… is exactly how I imagined a world lead by Ilias would be. You didn't say anything about Lucifina?"

"That's because there were no records pertaining to her."

Micaela raised an eyebrow. "She's my equal. The only one that could make her disappear like that is Ilias herself. And the only reason the latter would do so would be if she rebelled… You don't know anything about that?"

"No. There might have been something about it in the locked section of the library reserved to the archangels, but I was a mere assistant librarian."

The first seraph twirled a strand of hair around a finger. Simply talking about her sister was a touchy subject, but she wanted to try to get at the bottom of it. Maybe Promestein had a key information that could help them hold off the Angel World.

What did happen to her? Her sister was always rebellious and always had difficulties keeping a lid on her more bloodthirsty tendencies. Did she finally snap, or did Ilias got rid of her first? Micaela started grimacing as frustration was growing inside her.

Noticing that her interlocutor was eyeing her strangely, Micaela bowed respectfully, taking the small scientist aback. "Thank you for sharing your knowledge, and if I may give you an advice… If someone tells you the work on your life is transgressing on the goddess's feet, start focusing on finding a way to not get stomped."

The first seraph left the angel scientist alone to ponder what she just meant. Time for a drink…

* * *

Micaela was silently pondering what she heard about herself and the world lead by Ilias over a cup of Gold tea. Fortunately, Morrigan had cleared the premises and was now likely wandering to unfortunate places and the more gropey monsters were either asleep or away, allowing the first seraph to fully relax and meditate over the situation. She had to acknowledge that the serenity offered by the Pocket Castle at that precise moment was welcome, although she was still concerned about hidden agendas and daily conflicts between some of its inhabitants. It still seemed that it was somehow working out.

After a while, she could feel a small but focused holy aura that approached her from behind. She turned to see her smaller looking self, nervously jumping around. She maternally smiled.

"Do you need anything?" She showed the chair in front of her, inviting the younger seraph to take a seat.

"Well…" The small angel took the chair and sat across the table. "I know less about me than I should, and since you're me as I should have been… I was wondering if you could help me..." She was fidgeting around in an untypical display of coyness. "I kept hearing from everyone that you were the greatest source of wisdom around, even above Ilias… But what made you… me… turn away from her light."

With a long standing experience, Micaela concealed her surprise. She didn't expect so many people to already consider her a valuable source of knowledge and wisdom. Or was there an ulterior motive? The seraph eventually decided that this question was irrelevant right now. She had a job important enough explaining what happened to her younger self without shocking her.

"I lived with her for several millennia. A moment comes when her light is blinding and less than needed."

The younger looking seraph raised an eyebrow in front of the cryptic comment. Micaela decided to push her point forward.

"This is harder to explain to someone who always have seen the good side of Ilias so far. But first, I shall ask you a question. Did you ever see her acting in a way that could be described as selfish?"

"No." Her younger counterpart seemed almost shocked by the idea that the Goddess of Light's actions could not be aimed at bettering humanity's life as she always claimed. This was going to be hard.

"Okay." Micaela decided to try aiming with a different angle. She repositioned herself. "Describe her."

Micaela-chan closed her eyes and started reciting a lesson. "She's the most graceful being to have ever existed. Each of her word that is neither a law nor an order carries immense wisdom and should be treated as the most valuable lesson in her life. Her beauty-"

"-is second to none. She's the sun that illuminates our lives and guides our actions. Nothing can compare to her benevolence, and she will save humanity from darkness." Micaela ended the lesson herself. "I see that you read Ranaruel's gospel, but how is Ilias daily I mean? Did you travel with her?"

"… I can't remember it." The small seraph looked ashamed of her declaration. "But I heard enough from the travels with other angels to know that she is every bit as benevolent as the gospel says."

Micaela leaned a bit closer and rested her head on one of her hand. "Can you tell me about what they told? As much as I worked under her, I never had the luck to travel with her."

"I heard it from Victoria." Micaela-chan cleared her throat and started counting her tale.

_I heard about a time where the Goddess had to go in another world to acquire a key resource. Said world was one where the war between the tyrannical Black Alice and the heroic human kingdoms was at its apex. In that terrifying context, Her goal was to infiltrate the damnable Monster Lord's castle and swipe an item from under Black Alice's nose. As they started their noble mission in the Gold region, they required a mean of transportation to get there. As the hero Heinrich was around, he instantly answered the call to help of the Goddess and offered her a boat allowing them to reach Hellgondo. Once there, following the lead of the goddess, they made their way through the hellish landscape that was Hellgondo to reach its main city, Remina._

_During the stay of the Goddess and her followers in this other Remina, they were confronted with numerous monsters hiding their murderous intentions behind respectable fronts. But even as other companions turned a blind eye to their presence, the goddess wasn't fooled and knew of their depraved intent. Even as they adventured around, she exposed the different monsters around by judiciously placing bony remains acquired by Luka on his adventure, and used her conviction skills to frame those as the work of monsters living in town. However, her plan failed as a devious monster replaced a few of those by some from an animal, destroying the reputation of the Goddess. Repudiated, she decided that the only course of action to save those humans was to destroy Black Alice herself, and both heroes took stride in their mission._

"So as you can see, in the end, she always act to protect her children, as the mother of all life that she is should."

"…" Micaela fell silent for a moment and gestured for the scylla maid to bring her a bottle of Yamatai sake. Without ceremony, she opened it and filled her cup to the brim before gulping it in one go, without spilling a single drop in the whole process. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but decided to hold back. After a long minute of awkward silence, she eventually decided to settle on something that wouldn't risk antagonizing her narrow-minded other self.

"You're right, she's like a mother. And at one point comes a moment where you want to fly by your own wings, no matter how good your parent is. Anyway, do you want to talk about any… thing… else?"

Micaela slowed down and looked around her as signs of disruption were arising in the castle. Several monsters were running outside while the ground was starting to quake rhythmically. She readied her sword while making her way outside… and could not believe her eyes in front of what was happening.

"Emeth! Fate! Giga! Stop it! The Giant Dance Challenge has been cancelled until stated otherwise! Nobody found a place solid enough to accommodate you!" Mephisto was having difficulties getting herself heard over the mess. Several giant monsters were dancing in the front yard with the grace of drunken whales. The quaking was caused by their dancing, as they stomped on the floor in synch (or even occasionally fell). "At least please don't practice in the Pocket Castle! I have no idea how much this place can endure before it collapses!"

The situation was so ridiculous that some clicked in Micaela's brain.

_I stayed here long enough. I don't think I'll be able to handle another day here twiddling my thumbs, and it's a miracle that Luka didn't go insane around that._

_Time to get back on the road. _


	38. Story 38:A Four Spirits Adventure

"Wow. You really mastered the secrets of the Rainbow material."

Salamander was in awe as she turned and flipped Papi's latest creation. The young dragonkin smith had crafted a rapier that was barely thicker than a hair, and yet had the resistance of a mountain. The fire spirit needed a lot of effort to bend the blade, and even then, she could feel the resistance of the material.

"Thank you! I want to be the best smith on the world!"

Salamander smiled warmly. "Well, the title more-or-less belongs to Randolph, since he's the only one who managed to learn to craft materials from Meteorite ore, but we don't know where is he…" She patted her junior on the back. "Either way, you made a lot of progress. If you keep up that attitude, I have no doubt that you will manage to learn how to craft the rarest of material in no time!"

"Huuuuurgh, I'm soooo bored."

That bonding moment between the fire spirit and the young smith was broken by the unexpected arrival of Sylph. The wind spirit was looking sad, her shoulders slumped and her movements erratic. Salamander sighed as the small fairy certainly didn't end up here by coincidence. She smiled one last time at Papi, and stepped toward her fellow spirit.

"Are you alright Sylph? You look like you just went through a washing makina."

"That's because I'm sooooo booooored! Master Luka has been going on adventures without me for weeks now!"

Salamander sighed. It was one of the issue they had to accept when they all chose to join Luka. The hero was only taking a small team to accompany him, while the number of people following him had kept growing to become an army. As such, the four spirits weren't always on the road, an even more rarely all together at the same time.

Not that it missed her that much…

"Don't you have fellow fairies who want to play pranks?"

"The elves are torturing theeeeem..."

"That's called educating and learning discipline. Something that I noticed is curiously lacking in the smallest residents of the forest."

"You're meaaaaan…"

"I had a little talk with Freya and Airy where they told me about the damages dealt by your friends, and I can understand they're exhausted to deal with them."

"But what can I do in the meantime…" Sylph suddenly looked up, a smile that didn't reassure the fire spirit in the slightest on her face. "Oh, I know! Why don't we travel all four together! It's been so long since we did anything!"

"That's not exactly the best time…" Salamander closed her eyes. "Luka is busy and could need us anytime, Mephisto would also appreciate a few extra hands for her work, and I'm not confident with all the murderers roaming around… Besides, we all have some work. I'm training several warriors, Undine is working with the Grand Noah queen to solve the pollution issues, and Gnome is helping maintain the pyramid..."

Sylph looked at Salamander with watery eyes.

"All right, I'll see what I can do."

"Yay!"

"But no promises!"

* * *

It had taken her the better of a day, but Salamander had managed to convince Gnome and Undine to go on a small adventure together. They encountered a first obstacle when they had to agree commonly on a destination.

"What do you have against the Northern Sea, you shameless lizard?"

"It's cold and it's under water! You're the only one who can breathe in the ocean!"

"Actually I can create myself a bubble of air to surround me and not drown!"

Salamander glared at Sylph. "And Gnome? You're okay with that?"

Gnome shook her head negatively.

"Then if you're so smart, maybe you can choose a better destination yourself!"

Salamander looked at the large map that was laying in front of them for a minute while scratching her chin with a hand, lost in thoughts. She then enthusiastically pointed at a place on the map.

"There!"

Undine frowned as she identified the place Salamander wanted to spend time in.

"The Lava Mines? Really?"

"What? Do you have a problem with that?"

The water spirit raised an eyebrow. "It is burning hot and filled with lava. I see no reason to visit this place ever."

"The formations of orichalcum are a sight to behold!" Gnome nodded in approval.

A dramatic sigh echoed through the castle. "How course it would be about seeing something that's related to weapons. What a materialistic barbarian."

"Why you-"

"Also did you consider that Sylph first and foremost wanted a place to stretch her wings?"

Sylph nodded timidly. Salamander relented. She shouldn't make other pay for her rivalry with Undine.

"Alright, fine. Do you have any idea Sylph?"

"Of course! I want to go there!"

"Fairy's Island? Aren't you tired of the greenery?" Salamander sounded genuinely curious.

"I'll never get tired of forests! And also, that place is filled to the brim with a lot of powerful fairies I never played with! I can only imagine what pranks we'll be able to do with them."

Salamander and Undine looked at each other while Gnome shivered in fear. Both had came to the same terrifying conclusion as to whom would be the recipients of said jokes. The three spirits were already seeing themselves run away, chased away by an army of fairies they would never be able to hide from while being bombarded with explosive chestnuts, drowned in flash floods or buried alived while getting traumatized by the cackling laughter of their unfortunate gaming companion.

"Mmh." Salamander pretended to think out the situation. "You know, that doesn't sound like a bad idea, but I'm afraid I will burn the island." She failed to not sound utterly terrified.

"Don't worry, we fairies have all the powers over nature! We'll be able to stop any fire you start!"

Salamander looked at Undine in desperation. As much as the two spirits often butted head, both of them had agreed that they had to support each other when it was time to counter Sylph's ideas.

"I'm a bit afraid I would be mixed with a puddle of water once there. I have a tendency to mix myself with water to relax, and I accidentally got almost drank more than once by a beast.

"I will tell my friends to be careful!"

Salamander refrained to tell her that she believed it would be as effective as throwing a pebble into the sea.

Then Gnome started gesturing around in a panic. She gestured towards her then towards Sylph repeatedly, and distanced herself further and further each time.

"Aww, are you afraid I will spend so much times with my new friends that I will leave you alone?"

Gnome nodded repeatedly.

"Don't worry Gnomey… But maybe you also wanted to go somewhere else yourself?"

The two other spirits sighed in relief.

Gnome pointed on a zone located on the southern part of the map. The other spirits were surprised their fellow wanted to visit Ilias Continent, but they eventually looked closer.

"Lemuse Beach?" Undine tried remembering the characteristics of the place. "It's isolated by the Lost Woods, it's a good place to rest…"

"There's enough place to run around…"

"And there's a forest with friends not too far!"

Salamander smiled happily as they had managed to find a good compromise. "Well, in that case, let us go to Lemuse beach!"

Undine crossed her arms under her chest. "Since when are you the one leading?"

* * *

"This is why you're never leading."

The Four Spirits were travelling through the Lost Woods for several hours now. Undine was starting to lose patience as a result of Sylph's pranks that got them lost several times, and the situation only got worsened by Salamander's stubbornness and refusal to acknowledge that they were running in circle.

"Oh, do you have any better idea about where the beach is?"

"I could be able to tell you precisely where the closest sea is if you hadn't shouted upon those fairies. They completely scrambled the ambient elements with their spells and I can't see anything further than my eyes can."

"They threw a flash flood at me! I only wanted to try teaching them a few lessons about respecting their elders!"

"And that worked well. They threw three more and left."

Salamander sighed in frustration. Undine had a point on this one, she could definitively not teach anything to those pesky fairies.

"Great. So does anybody have an idea where Lemuse Beach actually is?"

"Well, if I search for the winds the most saturated by seawater, it's a bit further down here!" Sylph pointed at the right of where the group had been walking for the past hour.

The fire spirit was dumbfounded. "Why didn't you tell us?!"

"Because you never asked me before!" Sylph sounded genuinely proud.

Salamander felt the flames of anger rise within her before feeling doused by the fridge logic behind Sylph's words. She, indeed, hadn't taken a single second to ask herself how she could orient herself and if someone else had more skills to navigate the forest itself.

"You're right. Then lead us to the beach, please." She sounded deeply tired.

It didn't even take a quarter an hour to see the exit the forest, with an additional thirty minutes to finally reach the beach. As soon as they reached the sea, Salamander collapsed in exhaustion as the sound of waves reached her ears.

* * *

Salamander re opened her eyes what felt like an eternity later. She could see Undine floating in the sea, while Gnome and Sylph were digging up holes after holes into the sand. She decided to stand up to train a little, and assumed a fighting stance. She started slashing in the air with the edge of her hand once, then twice. After a few minutes, she started chaining her moves into flowing attacks.

The fire spirit appreciated this moment of tranquility. As much as she loved teaching and tutoring the more motivated monsters, those had started taking a little too much of her time and she didn't have as much time to train as she used to. She enjoyed seeing people exploit their potential, but she was sometimes afraid that the spirit of fighting inside her would end up extinguished if she kept like that. Maybe she should ask Luka to take her on his adventures more often, or maybe she should travel the world on her own from time to time…

She suddenly felt observed, and saw Undine looking at her as the water spirit stepped out of the water.

"Do you ever do something beyond training yourself or training people to fight?"

"No. You got a problem with that?" Salamander frowned in anger. Her fellow spirit already started to grate her nerves.

"You could maybe take a minute to appreciate what the world has to offer rather than rush through it to look for a fight." The water spirit sighed. "I'm pretty sure that trait of your rubbed off on some of your entourage…"

"What do you mean by that?!"

Undine sighed. "That I remember some people dying when they had bitten bigger than they could chew, which would have been avoided if they had taken one minute to think it out reasonably rather than if they did act on impulse."

"Are you implying I'm the one responsible for Heinrich's death?!" Salamander's flame roared stronger. "Not Ilias for playing games on him, not the angels who sealed him, not even Black Alice for starting the mess in the first place, but ME?"

Undine rose her hands defensively. "No, I only mean that searching for any occasion or motive to jump into fights headfirst can only lead to pain. You're the one who brought Heinrich's death into our conversation."

"Well Heinrich had chosen to fight rather than to let that go!"

"Because that paid well… As it does right now." Undine turned her back and silently moved away.

Salamander's fire instantly died down when she realized what Undine meant. There was a line between having a passionate spirit for fighting and just lashing out. It was a lesson she regularly repeated to any and all of her students, and yet she all too often fell herself for it.

As she started sulking, the Fire Spirit slowly wandered around. She looked at Gnome and Sylph, thinking about how those two were living free of worries, having let go of their conflicting nature a long time ago. A part of her envied their ability to live carefree, happy in their own little word. The duo stopped digging and looked at the bottom of the hole. Did they find something? As if on cue, Gnome closed her eyes and stomped her feet repeatedly, shaking sand in waves around the hole. Gradually, a rectangular metallic chest as large as the small Earth Spirit appeared. Upon seeing the Fire Spirit, Sylph enthusiastically rushed at her like an over enthusiastic child.

"Look Mandy, we found a treasure!" The Wind Spirit was actually groping her, but the Fire Spirit found her behavior more endearing than really annoying for the moment. She looked at the chest, and noticed an apparent lack of rust on it. When she further examined it, she realized it wasn't just iron, but actually meteorite. She shivered upon seeing it. Who could afford something like that and why? What was there in the chest that made spending the value of a small town worth it? She started to doubt she wanted to learn it. She hoped Undine would actually come back soon, as her more analytical nature coupled with her magic mastery would definitively be welcome right now.

"What have we here?"

Fortunately, the Water Spirit was back. She didn't spare a glance for Salamander as she slithered toward the chest with a critical eye.

"It's not magical." She closed her eyes and passed some of her slime through the lock. "But it's been fully waterproofed and protected against magic." She pulled her slime back from the lock. "It's old. It's very old."

"I want to know what's in! It will be mine! I want it!"

Undine sighed, but decided to humor the small spirit anyway. As soon as she started working on the lock, Salamander assumed a fighting stance behind her. She couldn't blame her this time, and even the usually unexpressive Gnome had shuffled backward ever so slightly, clearly wary of whatever the chest could contain.

After spending half an hour fiddling around, she finally heard a small click. She checked for additional traps, and couldn't see anything dangerous. In fact, the chest in itself only contained a parchment and a red brick at the bottom.

"Yay!" Sylph snatched both before Salamander could do anything, but instantly found herself stuck in a bubble of water by Undine, resulting in her new possessions falling on the sand. Gnome examined the brick with a confused look on her face.

"What a joke." Salamander frowned as she looked at what the Earth Spirit was holding. As soon as Sylph got released from Undine's bubble, she rushed to the Fire Spirit's side.

"Is that a brick joke?"

The next second, Sylph was set on fire.

"Still…" Salamander's eyes narrowed as she looked at the brick. "I've never seen a material like that. Do you know what it is Gnome?"

Gnome pointed at the ground and made a negative sign with her hand.

"It's not mineral?"

Gnome shook her head negatively. She then took the parchment and showed it to the other three spirits.

"Conservation enchantments do wonders… I can't say how old it is." Undine sounded unimpressed as she mentally read it. "It's an instruction manual on how to activate the brick. Aaaaand it is not précised to do what, of course."

"I want to know, I want to do it!"

Before they could react, Sylph snatched the parchment with the break and started looking at it. All the three other spirits looked at each other awkwardly.

"Should we warn anyone about the likely impending disaster?"

Salamander shrugged. "It might be an occasion to teach something to Sylph."

While Sylph followed the instruction written on the parchment with the support of Gnome, Undine and Salamander examined the chest. Upon feeling the inside with her slime, Undine notices a few irregularities in the otherwise perfectly flat surface. She shared this information with Salamander who came to the same conclusion.

"There's a hidden compartment in the chest."

Undine suddenly lost her cool and started to look for a way to open it. Both spirits were expecting the worst. Salamander gave up and decided to try to stop whatever Sylph could be doing.

"Wait! That thing might be trouble!" Her worries only grew as Sylph appeared empty handed. Where is it?"

"It's in the ocean!" Sylph pointed to a point that was bubbling. "It only needs sea water to wake up!"

"Wake up? It's someone?"

As if on cue, a huge monstrosity revealed itself in a deafening cry as waves splashed on the coast. The monster looked like an extremely huge Scylla, one as tall as a skyscraper, with wings on her back and tentacles in front of her mouth. Her eyes were filled with a mad anger. Salamander looked shocked for a second

"She's definitively not friendly."

"Oh, what makes you think that?!"

* * *

_(Author's note: I took the opportunity to fix the past stories a little)_


	39. Story 39: Spiriting away a huge problem

The four spirits looked at the monster that rose from the sea.

"Should we get reinforcement?"

Salamander gauged the monster that was in front of them.

"No, we can take care of her with a little strategy."

"Mmmh, I expected you to charge head-on and-"

Undine's diatribe got suddenly interrupted by the monster who cried again, before slamming both of her fists towards the Water Spirit. Gnome interposed herself between the assailant and her friend, but ended up buried in the soft sand for her trouble, with only her hat protruding from the ground.

"…"

Gnome slowly rose up from the ground and dusted herself, unperturbed.

The large monster shouted a deafening cry again, but she got interrupted by a tornado from Sylph.

"Get some chi-pa-pa for hurting my friend you big, slimy monster!"

_Real insult there Sylph._

The huge scylla cried once again and started swatting at the small fairy repeatedly. Fortunately for Sylph, her small size and her high speed couple with her mastery of the wind made her nigh uncatchable. In the meantime, the other three spirits started devising a strategy to take down that horror.

"Attacking a monster that size head on is going to be fruitless. We have to aim for the head."

"That is quite obvious."

Salamander briefly glared at Undine before the latter pushed on. "How do you suggest we get to do it? Sylph is the only one who can fly. Using water or dirt to create a path that could endure its attack would take all of our energy."

Salamander slammed her closed fist in her hand. "Well then, let's rush in!"

Undine sighed and closed her eyes. "How barbaric, just because those two options aren't plans, we-"

The end of her sentence got interrupted by a gust of wind. She saw Gnome and Salamander holding back a tentacle that had threatened to smash them.

"Then if you want to search for a new plan, do it faster!" Salamander pulled back her right hand which she then proceeded to imbue with fire. She then punched the tentacle in synch with Gnome, which had quite the effect on the monster if her horrendous cry was any indication.

Undine was forced to acknowledge Salamander was right: they could not afford time to think of a plan in their current predicament. Sylph was still chased in the air by tentacles, and getting caught would spell instant doom for her. A tentacle almost caught her and got torn apart by a blade of wind from the small spirit. However, it regenerated extremely fast and had grown back to its fullest in only a few seconds.

Gnome and Salamander were pushing back every tentacle that tried sweeping them. A tentacle interposed itself between the Water Spirit and her allies. She smoothly glided under it, and cast spells after spells to freeze a precise point.

"Gnome!"

Getting the cue, the Earth Spirit jumped across the beach and slammed her fist on the tentacle with the might of a mountain. The monster cried in shock, and as soon as she noticed what happened, Salamander casted an extremely powerful jet of flames on the open wound, cauterizing it and slowing the regeneration process to a crawl.

Salamander looked satisfied at her work. "One down…"

She got tossed away by the monster who was now crying in agony. Her burst of pride had cost her a hit, and she got up with a little difficulty. She then saw the numerous tentacles the monsters kept shaking around. "Thousands more to go…"

In the meantime, Undine looked at the water. The monster had most of her lower half immersed. She considered freezing it, but the sheer amount of seawater she had to dal with tore her plan apart. In the meantime, Gnome tore apart another tentacle, and Salamander casted another fireball on the stump to slow down its regeneration. The assaults were effective, but they couldn't afford to do that for each of the tentacle the monster had.

In any case, the three spirits kept at it while Sylph was keeping the upper half of the monster busy. After an undetermined amount of time, Sylph's movements started slowing down while the monster showed no sign of exhaustion.

"Huh, guys?" Sylph dodged another attack and threw a blade of wind at the offending blade of wind. "I'm starting to get tired…"

"Keep it up!" Salamander burned another tentacle. "We have destroyed… less than a quarter of its tentacles."

"Huh." Sylph dodged another tentacle with the grace of a breeze… And ended up within mouth's length of the monster, who instantly swallowed her.

"SYLPH!" Salamander shouted in desperation. Gnome tapped on Salamander's behind, and mimicked a boosting position. As soon as the Fire Spirit climbed on her fellow spirit's hand, Gnome propelled her straight at the mouth of the large monster who swallowed her with pleasure. The monster stopped moving for a second, as it emitted smoke from its mouth. The next second, it spat out the two spirits out, covered in gunk.

"What now?" Undine sounded actually more afraid than sarcastic toward her fellow spirits.

Sylph shook herself to clear the gunk. "Well, we can still do the thing with me, then with Gnomey, then with Deeny, then Mandy."

Undine and Salamander looked at each other as they realized what Sylph wanted them to do.

"That NEVER led to good result." The monster swiped at them with several tentacles at the same time. Undine and Sylph slipped amongst them, while Gnome and Salamander focused on one and tore it apart. "And we need a catalyst for it to work." Gnome revealed her weapon under her gloved hand, showing the King of Heart, and impossibly rare weapon Luka had _found_ in another dimension. "That'll do."

"It's not like we have another plan anyway. Let's do it fast. We only need to get sure that thing doesn't attack us for a few seconds." Salamander glared at the abomination.

Undine focused energy in her hand, and plunged it into the sea. A path of frozen seawater slowly made its way toward the monster, who soon found itself shocked as its lower half was blocked by the ice. She used her tentacles available to free herself rather than to attack the Four Spirits.

"There."

As if on cue, all Spirits started accumulating energy. First, Sylph imbued Gnome's weapon with the wind element, then Gnome herself imbued it with the power of earth, then Undine added her water mastery, and Salamander finally gave the next attack the wrath of fire.

With all her might, Gnome jumped at the monster's throat with the power of a rocket, her fist raised forward. She punched with all her might and crossed right through her opponent's throat with such strength that the giant scylla was instantly beheaded by the shockwave.

She silently exulted, before she realized that she was almost a hundred meters in the air above the sea. She flapped her arms fruitlessly for a few seconds, before holding onto her hat as she started falling down toward the ocean.

On the beach, the three other spirits were celebrating their victory, when they realized the issue with their fellow.

"We must save Gnomey!"

Undine shrugged. "Oh don't worry, she'll be fine."

Salamander frowned. "Not everybody has the swimming ability of the water spirit."

Undine moved back and pointed at the monster's body. "What about the pancake-resisting power of the Earth Spirit?"

"What?" Salamander looked at the towering body, that was slowly tilting toward them faster and faster.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhi-"

The body fell on the beach, smashing the three remaining spirits into the ground. Right afterward, it disappeared into a puff of smoke. An half buried Salamander looked at the sky with an expression of pure disbelief on her face.

"Are you kidding me? She couldn't have disappeared before smashing us?"

An hour later, a moody, soaked Gnome had managed to join back her friends. Undine was still working on opening that hidden compartment, but her moves weren't as naturally flowing as they were, as exhaustion was gradually taking over her. And last, as they took time to confirm that monster was destroyed and didn't leave any other nasty surprise behind, the sun had left the sky to make way for the night.

As Undine kept fiddling with the chest, every other spirit carefully held back. Even if she didn't get interrupted, the Water Spirit started growing frustrated.

"What's the matter exactly?" Salamander tried to sound genuinely concerned to prevent getting doused by her angry fellow spirit.

"There's a whole puzzle with blocks to slide underneath it! I have no idea how you're supposed to resolve it without being able to see it or to feel it.

"Magic? No wait, it's been made spell proof."

After another few minutes, a clicking noise echoed through the silence. Undine carefully removed the cover, showing to Salamander the sliding block puzzle that represented tentacles coming from an abyss that she had to blindly solve. The Fire Spirit respectfully nodded, and all four of them looked at the bottom of the box. There was another parchment, delicately rolled and held by a red velvet ribbon.

Salamander sighed. "Please tell me it's not a spell to ban that huge thing."

Undine carefully removed the ribbon while coagulating her extremity to avoid sliming up the paper and started reading it. The text was written in a persistent ink in flowing cursive.

_I found a way to reduce the biggest monster to the size of a brick. If you isolate the raw genetic material present within the cells and condense it with a few earth spells while infusing your target's natural environmental elements in the process, you will be able to compact her to then bring it back ready for battle by throwing her back in her environment. The process takes less than a minute, and it could be useful to bring back larger wounded monsters from the field once I know it's safe enough to use._

_When I confirmed it worked after testing it on several of my chimeras, I showed it to my sisters who asked me to do it on my Cthulhumera. They told me her aggressiveness was a liability, but after further testing, I managed to condition her to become more pacific toward monsters upon hearing "How my philanthropy affects my love for my craft?" Don't ask how I did that. I don't know either._

_Either way, she's now reduced to an almost indestructible brick that will transform back into her hundred foot tall self if we throw it into a sea. Pretty awesome, no?_

_I'll just place it into a chest and throw that into the sea with the instructions to see if someone's going to fall for it. Maybe she'll end up making company for the beezlebubs…_

Once she was done reading, Salamander collapsed. She wasn't even angry. The fire of passion had simply left her. Gnome let herself fall on her behind and started playing sadly with sand, while Undine lied down, hoping something would appear to end her days.

Sylph pulled the ribbon from the chest. "Well, at least, we still have a ribbon and a meteorite chest. Those are probably worth a fortune!" The Wind Spirit chuckled awkwardly.

"This ribbon isn't a magic one. It's worth as much as a seashell." Undine sighed. She went wide eyed when she heard two more puffing noises. She looked around her and could no longer see the chest nor the puzzle. She started panicking, and looked around her. She shook the parchment as if the chest had disappeared under it. When she turned it, she saw a few small sentences that were written at the back.

_P.S. Tamamo said she wouldn't make us more chests like that if we keep losing them. I placed a recall spell to automatically get this one back in my room once it's empty. I hope she'll appreciate the effort._

Undine looked at the three other spirits, who had expressions as desperate as hers.

"This. Never. Happened."

* * *

Mephisto was slowly making her way through the Pocket Castle after a long day. She had spent said day taking care of her younger students, and those had been a bit scattered these times. They spent just as much time gossiping than studying in class, which was endearing at first, but was really annoying her by the end of the lesson. Even expelling the most talkative ones proved barely effective. As a punishment, she took longer to finish the class and gave them additional homework, but she felt it did hurt her more than them.

Her evening studies had been consecrated to succubi to prepare for the upcoming Purple Sabbath, and interviewing some representatives of this race had proved just as exhausting. She had to add a few men to her bargain to get them to cooperate, and even then, she didn't get half the answer she hoped to have, more often than not getting an answer amounting to "because fun and pleasure are everything."

And then her day got worse. She heard about the sightings of a mountain sized scylla close to the west coast of the Ilias Continent, and then said monster was destroyed by a huge amount of energy. A monster like that sounded like it could be an extreme, immediate danger for the local population and then for the whole world, and whatever had destroyed it could only mean worse news. However the agents she sent there reported that there were no signs of the monster or of its killer anywhere. Lemuse Beach had been wrecked by _something_, but it wasn't clear what happened. The queen of the southern sea, Kraken, was just as dumbfounded by the event as her, and none of the book she had found had any information on a monster like that, in spite of her effort to scour the San Ilia library. The only place she hadn't looked in was the Monster Lord's castle.

By the end of the day, she had students that had learnt almost nothing, a headache from dealing with succubi, and an even worse feeling in her guts after hearing about the sea monster that mysteriously disappeared. Eventually, she gave up altogether and decided that she was allowed to go for a drink or ten to forget this day.

When she reached the bar, she was greeted by the sight of the Four Spirits together. It was relatively rare to see them all like that because of their conflicting nature. Furthermore, they looked even more exhausted than she was, as if they went through hell. Was it just a coincidence? She decided to ask them.

"Greetings, I apologize for disturbing you, but I heard rumors about a huge sea monster near the west coast of Ilias Continent. Do you happen to know anything about that?"

Each of the spirits muttered a barely audible negative answer. Even the hyper energetic Sylph and the passionate Salamander looked utterly broken. The latter had an empty plate that seemed to include remains of sushis and takoyakis in front of her.

"Good grief, you all look like you went through hell, maybe you should go on a small vacation."

"NO!" All the four spirits answered in perfect sync, startling Mephisto.

"Good grief, message received."

They definitively knew something. Still, if they had taken care of it, there was no reason to be worried about it…

Mephisto sat alone at a table and offered herself a bottle of Noah wine. Well, it looked like that unless she started looking in the closed recordings in the Monster Lord Castle, she wouldn't learn anything more about that monster…

Now, for the Purple Sabbath… A small reminder should be enough. After all, those males had lived with monsters for a long time now. Surely dealing with a company rowdier than usual would prove no trouble…

* * *

A small, blonde figure with two triangular furry ears atop her head and nine fluffy tails was going on her merry way through the Monster Lord Castle. Even with all the powerful monsters around, she still had a lot of job to do. While a part of her important workload could be blamed on the whimsical nature of the Lilith Sisters and the damages their actions all too regularly occasioned, the reality was that Yao and herself were the only two persons in the castle able to correctly deal with certain tasks, such as maintaining the wards all around the place and getting sure the chimeras weren't getting too out of shape.

Tamamo lifted open the door that lead to the temporarily closed chimera lab. No work other than maintenance had been done it for a long time, and the only reason most tools lying around weren't getting rusted was only thanks to the thorough work done by herself and her followers.

She checked the Giganto chimera, and smiled to herself. Even after so much time, she could still function, even if she lost a part of her power. She checked the tool and cleaned the occasional rust that had formed or one or the other with care. She hoped that they would never be needed again, but in those trying times, nothing was more unlikely. She frowned when she noticed some of them were lying on the ground. Did the Lilith Sisters come to play around here? Her brain told her it was unlikely, and her noseconfirmed her that there wasn't a hint of succubus pheromone or of a coital odor amongst the chemical smells. In fact, the only lingering presence that was still detectable her was her own passage from last time. She decided to carefully examine the objects lying on the ground.

One was a meteorite made chest that reached the level of her armpits. Tamamo recognized her own craft in it. She chuckled when she remembered that she had found the metal in abundance on Hellgondo, and used it to craft tons of curios that she gifted to her sisters and would end up almost invariably lost. If she knew how rare it was at the time, she would have given it a more practical use. She was checking the second item when the realization caught her: An empty chest with Hiruko's sigil had randomly appeared in the chimera laboratory.

She looked around her as fear started gripping her heart. She considered turning into her ancestral form to prepare for a fight, but the more rational part of her mind prevailed. Her small sister was sealed, she would definitively have felt it if the spell had broken, and as hungry as said sister was, she was still very unlikely to attack her. Her magical senses analyzed the chest and the puzzle, and she picked the presence of a recall spell, as well as the impossible to miss presence of the element of water in all its purity, meaning Undine was the one person unfortunate enough to find the chest and deal with its content. And since her network didn't report the ocean turning over or any other strange event, the Water Spirit likely made it out alive.

Still… Having something like that resurface right now… That couldn't be a coincidence. Maybe something else was in preparation. Maybe she missed one of the Lilith Sister's plan. Maybe they found a way to break the seal that even herself didn't consider. Or maybe she was becoming paranoid because of the growing restlessness in the world.

In any case, she decided that it was time to go on a vacation. She had the tools to travel unnoticed, that would be a good occasion to practice her ninjutsu skills, and she could maybe find an occasion to entertain herself...


	40. Story 40: Purple Sabbath - On two worlds

Micaela sighed as she looked down sternly at the two figure prostrated in front of her. "No. Denied."

As if to highlight her answer, several of Heaven's white spires that could be seen behind her started shining more strongly. The intensifying light illuminated the huge golden and marble white room that made for her office, and was only slightly weakened by the numerous stained glass windows that represented Ilias and her victory over monsters. Even the chorus that praised Ilias all day long had apparently fallen silent for a moment.

She had been surprised earlier that day to be pulled out of her training in the Temple of War by one of her elite valkyrie. The messenger had informed her that Zion and Eden required an audience for a reason of utmost importance. A doubt seized the mind of the leader of the Archangels for a single moment before she could feel Gnosis was still doing fine, and had that she had been left behind to guard the gate leading to Tartarus. Still, she wondered what the possibly grave matter that required her attention was…

…And was completely dumbfounded when Zion, with the support of Eden, asked her to be allowed to go on the hunt in the other world for the upcoming Purple Sabbath to slay succubi. A part of her wanted to encourage them for taking the initiative, and she herself wanted nothing more than join them and kill a few of those sex fiends that dare mock Ilias with their obscene party, but she knew that the consequences of doing so would be catastrophic.

"My lord, I invite you to reconsider my proposition. We would only bring justice on those that want nothing more than to defile Her creations. We would only be cleaning the filth."

The chorus resumed its singing."As right as you are, we unfortunately just cannot afford to step in directly and get rid of those pests at our will. I appreciate your initiative, but recklessly going in this world to kill its parasites will only further increase chaosization, and as I said before, the Goddess will not tolerate anything less than saving every single soul loyal to her."

"My lord, those filthy succubi will desecrate our loyal followers and may even murder them for their own pleasure. In both cases, we will lose some of our more loyal lambs, but only if we remain passive those succubi will survive. You should let us go help them right now!"

"And you should remember your place, second generation seraph Zion." Micaela didn't speak any louder, but even then, Zion could feel the power and the wrath in her words. "The Goddess has decreed that we were not to intervene directly and minimize contact with its inhabitants, and as such we shall do so."

Upon feeling the distress of her partner, Eden decided to step in. "And what about an indirect intervention? If we stir up the angels on the Snow Continent, we could get them to act against the succubi. Of course, this could attract attention to us, but it would be the best, and maybe even the only way to guarantee the safety of the loyal followers of Ilias for that damned night."

Micaela pondered the first seraph's words for a moment. "As much as it saddens me, my decision is final." She pointed at Zion. "You are to focus on defending the pathway established through Tartarus with Gnosis. Apoptosis activity increased lately, and escorting a new group would be extremely dangerous right now."

"As She wishes."

"And you." She pointed at Eden. "You are to gather support and help Uriela ensure that no monsters in the Noah region give in to their instinct. You are free to search every house as needed."

"I'm already on my way."

"And before you leave, I _invite_ both of you to take a moment to thank Ilias for her vigilance over us. While your eager initiative is understandable, it looks like you are losing sight of the Goddess's great plan and questioning her wisdom. Dismissed."

In the blink of an eye, both seraphim disappeared, teleporting themselves to Heaven's temple to spend the remainder of the day to reaffirm their belief in the Goddess of Light. Micaela knew that they would never dare actually question Ilias, but reminding them that She was everything in their life couldn't hurt.

Unfortunately, none of this made the matter disappear. This damnable Purple Sabbath would happen anyway, a taunt from beyond the grave coming from a shameless harlot who parodied life itself. Simply knowing she was alive and well in another world enraged Micaela to no end.

There would be nothing better than murdering the children of that whore in front of her during the night she loved so much, before beheading her as soon as the sun rises. It was impossible this time, but maybe the next one… Even if it was in a hundred years…

She shook her head. Zion's burning hatred for succubi had touched her a little. The seraph had all the rights to be angry, but Micaela remembered that those were creatures exploiting passion and sexuality. The best way to stand up to them was to remain calm and to neither fall for their honeyed promises nor a bottomless rage, no matter how righteous.

Micaela stood up and got to the balcony. She took a moment to appreciate the pure streets of the cities, only filled with angels and humans dutifully going to their work of serving the Goddess in the way she saw, not losing time indulging themselves in petty leisures. From where she was, only the palace of Ilias herself prevented her from being able to see every white street and every golden tower. But of course, it was natural for the Goddess of Light to always be at the top of everything, at the sight of everyone. She was their reason to live, to be, to do and to die.

"Mmh."

Upon hearing someone scoffing, Micaela turned and instantly kneeled. Her Goddess had granted her the chance to see Her light by herself.

"My lord…"

"I authorize you to get up." Ilias's expression was covered by a haughty smirk. "Do you really think, even if they're in another world, those pests should be allowed to live?"

"Of course not." Micaela still looked down by respect for her superior. "But as it stands, we do not have any way to intervene to slay them without endangering Your Great Plans."

"And what about Eden's idea? I'm pretty sure those angels living on that Snow Continent would eagerly join our fold."

"I have no doubt either my lord. But getting their support will require sending a powerful envoy, and she will be bound to attract an unwelcomed attention likely to result in a fight. No matter the outcome, the increase in chaosization will threaten your Great Salvation Plan to an unacceptable level. We do not let those parasites be because we want to. We only let them live because we have another duty to attend to. They will die as soon as we demand it."

Ilias emitted a pretend sigh, smiling at her lieutenant. "As usual, you figured out everything yourself, didn't you? Maybe one day, you will take my place."

"I would never consider it."

"Of course you didn't…" The goddess turned back and started walking away. "The moon will be stronger that night. You know what to do, right?"

Micaela frowned. "Yes."

"Of course, not a word to anyone."

"Of course."

* * *

Saja was currently slithering through the unusually empty streets of San Ilia. Since Minagi had gained the control of the city, the place was usually filled with moans and wet squishing noises from succubi enjoying their favorite activity. At this instant, however, the town was unusually calm, almost eerily silent.

If the rumors were right, her sister had declared the day before the Purple Sabbath a period of abstinence. Its goal was twofold: the first was to make a mockery of Ilias, who always despised the intercourses between humans and monsters, and hated succubi in particular as they were created for that purpose. The second, more pragmatic, was to get sure the men would be well rested and more filled with energy for a night of the most extreme debauchery. Even if the succubi could now enjoy themselves freely, they wanted this special day to be remembered.

When she reached the central plaza, Saja smirked as she saw three succubi dressed in lewd parodies of the dress the dead hag used to wear. They were _preaching_ about frustrating oneself and refusing the supreme pleasures succubi could offer simply because their virgin goddess demanded it. They were walking around a nude statue of Ilias, and were saying that people should try to taste her flesh instead.

The succubi bowed as the ancestor made her way through the gate leading to her sister's palace. The floor was covered by a thick carpet and a large numbers of sheets and pillow were laying around, currently unoccupied. The snakelike ancestor could see several men supernaturally asleep lying in the corners, while succubi were silently meditating in the dark, or training in martial and magical arts. She could feel their hardly contained lust burn through their body.

Soon enough, she was crossing the always open gate leading to her sister's bedchambers. The message was clear. All were welcome to enter the Whore of Babylon's inner sanctum. Minagi herself was alone, sitting on her large bed in a meditating posture, her legs crossed and her eyes closed.

Saja could also see several men and fallen angels sleeping in the dark corners, shaking from time to time from what looked like erotic dreams. Some of the angels were bound by a slimy, dark material. She also noticed three empty beds, and wondered for a second how its usual occupants were doing in this other world. The traveling ancestor had to admit that even after so much time, the sexual magnetism emitted by her sister attracted her. Even she, as a fellow ancestor, could not deny that the succubus's body and aura were designed to appeal to anyone's reproductive instinct.

"To what do I how the pleasure of your visit, dear sister?"

"Nothing more than courtesy. I wanted to see by myself what were you planning for the Purple Sabbath."

"As you can see…" Minagi got up and gestured at the men and angels around her. "I'll start with something classic, then I'll switch partner depending on how I feel. Is mother organizing something as well?"

Saja shrugged. "She made a few invitations and will likely involve herself with a few men, but it's only to mark the occasion. For starter there are not as much men in the whole of Hellgondo as there is in San Ilia alone."

"Too bad. She would have been welcome here."

"And them?" Saja pointed at the three empty beds. "Won't you miss your little daughters? It's the first Purple Sabbath without the Lilith Sisters, after all."

The ancestor of succubi shrugged. "It will be different, but they have a job to do and the party shouldn't stop because they're missing. They certainly wouldn't want it, they'd consider it a victory for the old hag. Any news from the others?"

"Well, Hiruko is still doing her best to catch Eden, Kanon is tending to her garden, Tamamo is creating new mechanical toys, Kanade is actually going to rest, and as far as I'm concerned… Truth be told, I would be interested in joining your party this night."

Minagi smiled. "But you are as welcome as anyone, dear sister! I simply didn't consider you were interested since you were involved with someone!"

Saja looked down, silent.

"Ooh, I'm sorry." Minagi placed her hand sympathetically on her sister's shoulder. "What happened?"

"He died from cardiac failure. I didn't think he would die, we were only doing it for the thirtieth time that day, nothing exceptional. But when I freed him to eat a small snack, I felt his vitals decline and stop in spite of my best effort." She sniffled. "We had been together for more than thirty years. At the time I found him near the ruins of Remina, I only wanted to give him some love after the Great Disaster… But he selfishly died and left me alone."

"That's so tragic… I sincerely wish that you will find your destined partner tonight… Or, barring that, that you will at least get a satisfying fill."

Saja smiled, a single tear shed running down. "I hope for the best, but I intend to enjoy this night to its fullest."

"I am glad you're taking it in stride!" "Would you prefer a private room, or do you want to proudly show your skills in front of everyone?"

"I will take a place on the plaza… Unless you have something in mind? I saw the little setup you did there and I wouldn't want to break it."

Minagi made a dismissive gesture. "Don't worry about it. It's just a play where we violate one of the captured angels to show her the delight her goddess attempted to deny everyone. In fact, I'm sure your presence can make it even more enjoyable." She gestured at the pillows scattered in the room. "Please, help yourself. May this night bring you all the pleasure you could wish for."

"Thank you. May you enjoy it just as much as well."

Saja's snakes seized a few pillows which the lamia proceeded to carry outside, leaving Minagi mostly alone in her room.

She didn't tell her sister, but the succubus ancestor indeed felt a twinge of concern for her daughters. She knew they were safe and that they more than likely planning their own little party for the Purple Sabbath, but she indeed missed their presence. The cacophony of lewd noises that were going to escape that room was just going to be a bit quieter. She also had hoped that they would have brought one or two of those seraph or archangels with them. New toys to celebrate this night would have been appreciated… Maybe they could even do something with the other world version of herself? She was likely feeling alone, sealed without even a male to sate her.

In any case there was no point thinking about anything else but pleasure for this dangerous night. The purple moon was slowly showing its color, bathing the city in a supernatural purple-ish aura.

One of the men got up. He silently made his way to Minagi's bed and laid on his back in an offering posture. The succubus positioned herself on all four just above him, and licked her lips.

Let the feast begin.


	41. Story 41: Purple Sabbath - In the castle

_Roses are red…_

_Violets are blue…_

_The moon's purple…_

"_Wait, the moon's purple?"_

"_Yes it is. Oh. Did we forget the Succubus Sabbath? Oops."_

"_Sigh…"_

"_Oh, don't worry, it will be fine."_

"_You said that last time too."_

* * *

Pilate carefully took a peek around the corner of the hallway. There wasn't a sign of a resident, only a few stools and chairs thrown around. He silently progressed, and was glad that as spectacular looking his rainbow armor was, it didn't make a single noise as he moved forward. He slowly crossed the mess, careful not to walk on a single splinter, as if each of them was a trap that would raise hell and lead to his death. This was likely what would happen should a monster decide to investigate a noise or just happen to pass by. As soon as he reached the shadowy area across the chaos strewn on the ground, he took a relieved breath.

When he got back to the Pocket Castle after travelling to Ilias Village earlier that day, he imagined himself spending a calm evening enjoying the amenities of the bar, even if it meant enduring the teasing of the residents and the advances of Izuna. After all, it would be a shame to let those luxuries go to waste.

He had entered his home base by the beginning of the evening, when the sun was starting to set down on the horizon. When he entered, he had noticed a few signs of agitation but nothing unusual, and he didn't spare a second thought for them. Instead, he had preferred spending time to train in the barracks against Samson. The commander from Sabasa had started helping him learn a few elemental enhancement skills, and this evening had been as good an opportunity as any to pick up a few new tips. Then he had the opportunity to enjoy a finely cooked steak for dinner, made by one of the expert chief of the Pocket Castle, with a nice ice cream afterwards. During all that time, there wasn't a single sign of the things that were to come.

The first sign happened when he decided to take a drink at the bar with Samson after a last training session to debrief and to get the latest news. The monsters there were unusually forward in their advances. At first, he didn't really took notice, as it wasn't unusual that one or the other monster hit on someone else after having soaked a passable amount of strong alcohol. He didn't exactly noticed when it happened, but before either of them could notice, the table was surrounded by monsters looking all too eager for an opportunity to jump at the duo. And this time, there were several queen class monsters like Lilith & Lilim.

Fortunately, all monsters jumped at the same time, which resulted in them blocking each other and allowed the duo to escape unscathed. Pilate originally ran toward the closest door leading outside, but Samson held him back and told him that several large monsters were always roaming outside. Then they made their way to the stairs that would lead them down to the first floor, but Samson decided he wanted to check on Sara and went toward the royal room. The next minute, the commander was running out, followed by the succubized princess who kept shouting him the order to "act like a man." He waited for him a few minutes, but the commander never came back. Eventually, the guard from Iliasville decided to try to exit the castle on his own before being molested.

When he reached downstairs, he saw that the place was curiously empty, but the furniture had been trashed by enthusiastic monsters. He managed to cross the hallway to reach the store and the armory, but the silence was more worrying than any war cry. Since there wasn't a single soul in sight, Pilate decided to try his luck by waiting there. Only a few minutes had passed when he heard noise once again, coming from the stairs. He enjoyed the presence of a fortunately placed mirror that was lying on the opposite wall to see a pack of succubi patrolling the hallway. They were all checking the dining room when Pilate realized that his hiding spot was going to be next. He silently made his way toward the exit, taking care in avoiding the paper sheets lying around when one caught his eye. This was apparently an emergency notice from Mephisto, and he hadn't read it.

As he leaned down to take the paper, he suddenly heard an eager squee, followed by a succubus tackling him to the ground. She straddled him as he tried struggling, but found himself restrained right afterwards by her companions.

"Yeees! We got one just for us!"

"Come on! Get started! The faster you get it on, the faster it's our turn!"

Before the quartet could do anything, an electrical shockwave blasted one of the succubi. The three others lost focus on their prey, And Pilate managed to clear them off from him while they were getting zapped. He looked around him to see the succubi were all laying on the floor, groaning in dazed states.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't have harmed some of master Luka's friend." The voice of Pilate's savior sounded melodious and educated. The guard turned around to see Merlin, one of the Don of the mafia wearing a dapper suit.

"Still, I would advise going into hiding. Don't try leaving the castle, they managed to bar the exit for now."

Pilate respectfully bowed. "Let me thanks you for the help."

Merlin made a dismissive gesture. "Don't mention it. May I invite you to joins us in the library? Monsters left this place for a reason, and the whole area was extremely easy to barricade."

Pilate nodded.

Merlin and his protégé managed to reach the library without making another fortunate encounter. The way was blocked by a bookcase put through one of the entrances. Merlin focused for a second, and, in the blink of an eye, the duo was on the other side. They were greeted by Lazarus and John, the other Don and the knight commander of San Ilia respectively.

"Hey old man, you actually managed to bring someone else!" Lazarus looked impressed at Pilate. He took a cigar from his vest and lit it. "You don't happen to have seen any of the other guys, would you?"

Merlin dusted himself off. "Well, Samson has been caught by his queen, master Luka and his great ancestor Heinrich are currently on the road and the San Ilia King is at a presentation or something like that…"

"Dang… I don't know if it's fortunate or not…" Lazarus blew a small cloud of smoke. "And what about the three pervs? They let themselves get caught, didn't they?"

"Actually…" Merlin cringed. "I could hear a lot of monsters in the basement debate about whether or not they were deserving of the pleasures they could bring. They didn't molest them yet."

Lazarus chuckled. "Man, even monsters don't want them. Can't blame them though. I don't think anyone would touch them with a ten feet pole."

"Master Luka still recruited them."

"Yeah, yeah, wonder what went through his head at that time. I can't even say it's the usual attraction to monsters." Lazarus blew another ring of smoke while leaning back on a chair. "This Purple Sabbath bullshit can't be over soon enough."

Pilate blinked. "Wait… Purple Sabbath?"

"You know, the night the moon turns purple because of some strange lingering magic aftereffect from the Great Monster War which results in darkness sensitive women turning into succubi and monsters becoming extremely lustful…"

"Yes, I know what the Purple Sabbath is! I just forgot it was tonight!"

"Well Mephisto did placard a notice on the board…"

"Only Luka bother reading those!" Pilate sighed. "Where are angels when you need them?"

John ground his teeth to dust. "They're all visiting San Ilia again. They're trying to boost the faith in Ilias again. Between the perverts that only come to stare at Eden and that angel beast that tried eating someone twice, they're having mixed results so far."

"Damn." Lazarus wallowed on his chair. "Well, in that case, we'll just have to wait for dawn here." He proceeded to pull a pack of cards from a sleeve. "Anyone up for a small poker game?"

"I'll pass, Don, thank you."

The man smiled. "Oh come on, I'm not gonna bleed you dry, we can play without stakes if you-."

The bookcase blocking the entryway rumbled slightly, interrupting Lazarus in the middle of his sentence. While Merlin had put enchantments in place to get sure it would stay standing and those behind would be undetected, he doubted that whoever was on the other side would quit without leaving the area unchecked. He was soon vindicated as something bumped in the bookcase once again. Silently, everybody prepared their weapon: Both knights positioned themselves in front, shields and swords drawn, while Lazarus checked his two guns and Merlin pointed his staff at the still blocked entrance.

"Wait." Pilate whispered. "We should hold back and try to not harm them seriously."

"Don't bother. They'll be more than able to take it."

Pilated looked at his fellow knight after Lazarus's jaded answer, but the commander from San Ilia only shrugged, too busy focusing on the entrance. The bookcase stopped moving, which didn't reassure anyone in the slightest. The group wisely decided to step slightly aside should the one attacking the obstacle _accidentally_ blow it across the room.

As if on cue, a magical explosion blasted the bookcase across the room, dispersing around books and bunched papers. Several succubi threw themselves at the group who started fighting back. Pilate slammed the hilt of his sword on the head of the first assailants, while John knocked aside another one with his shield. Merlin cast sleeping spells after sleeping spells, but those had only limited effects on the monsters trying nothing more than to get their fix.

"Glance ard!"

A wave of pleasure struck the team who barely tanked the assault. Lazarus checked the source and could see those blond twins at the back of the group. They were preparing another spell when he shot them repeatedly. The attack was barely enough to make them lose focus, and soon, more succubi poured in. The group was having difficulties holding them back, as while their aggressors were not using any weapon, they were outnumbering them five to one.

Unfortunately for the men, the monsters apparently had remembered that there were several entrances leading to the library. While the humans were busy holding back the wave of horny devils, the monsters managed to free the other entrances leading to the room. To avoid being surrounded, the group made its way to the small backroom in hope that they could force monsters through the narrow doorway that made for the only entrance. Unfortunately, it also meant there was no way out.

Pilate and John were barely holding the thirsty monsters trying to get to them. All the while, the room echoed with a cacophony of giggles and moans that were starting to grate the men's nerves. The two knights tried to keep the entry blocked with their shield while Merlin kept casting spells and Lazarus shot in the crowd, but eventually they had to give up. A second later, every man was fighting for himself in a corner.

Pilate was slashing at the succubi that kept jumping at him while trying to hold back. Even if they intended to molest him, they still remained companions, and he didn't want his relations with them to sour. He could see from the corner of his eye some wounded ones getting healed, which birthed mixed feelings in his stomach. On the one hand, healers meant that there wouldn't be serious consequences for the wounded ones. On the others, the assailants came back as soon as they were healed.

A succubus exploited his loss of attention and managed to pin him. Before she could further do anything, however, John slammed her with his shield, making her tumble across the room. As he got up, the soldier from Iliasville noticed that all the monsters were now hanging back just behind the entrance of the room, inviting them to come. The two soldiers were keeping their weapons high, ready to defend themselves against attackers again, while Lazarus kept both guns pointed at the doorway. As Merlin remained behind, he could hear scraping noise from outside. He motioned for Lazarus to come closer, and the other Don also noticed the strange sound.

"They wouldn't tear apart the castle's wall, would they?"

As if on cue, the scraping stopped. The men felt relieved for an instant, before a whole pan of the wall slowly fell inside the room. Right afterwards, several monsters were peeking at the content of the room, grinning devilishly.

"Gentlemen." Merlin took of his hat. "It's been an honor."

The men didn't even move an inch as monsters flooded the room from every entrances.

* * *

In the basement of the Pocket Castle, a debate was raging between two large groups. One side was made mostly of the more predatory and sex-crazed monsters, while the other one included more introvert or professionally oriented ones. Between them was an almost as large third group trying to keep both of the group from actually attacking each other. This didn't prevent each group from shouting at each other.

"Let's just feed on them!"

"They don't deserve it!"

"Doesn't matter! Sex is sex!"

"We're better than that!"

"We're monsters! We live for sex!"

"Then let's get some decent men!"

"We've got some right here!"

The argument kept going back and forth for several minutes before a tribune randomly appeared in the middle in a deafening noise. Both groups fell silent while Mephisto climbed behind the stand. The yoma took the opportunity to dust herself.

"Good grief people… Being monsters don't mean being savage. How about you discuss this like civilized creatures? And before you ask, I don't want to do anything with them and I don't care what you do to them, I just promised Luka that nobody would die. Good? Good. Now, each side PLEASE choose 3 representatives. Not two, not four, Three." She showed three fingers.

Monsters in both side started whispering among each other. Good, at the very least, it looked like the worst was avoided for now…

On the side of those that wanted the men untouched, Mephisto could see the elegant mermaid queen Laura, the black cloaked vampire queen Fatima, and the haughty elf queen Freya. She wasn't surprised by this turn of event, as those three monsters were quite selective when it came to choosing partners to spend a night with.

On the other side, Spider Princess, a slimy Cassandra, and Barbarella, the leader of the beezlebubs, were going to defend their case. Once again, Mephisto considered their presence obvious as the two were predators that considered all men equally as food, while the third only saw them as breeders.

She was glad that there were neither succubi nor angels present at this debate: They would have guaranteed a complete mess.

"First word is to the pro activity side."

Spider Princess cleared her throat and started talking. "I do not even understand why we go through this farce…"

_Off to a good start, aren't we?_

"…But I shall only say this. We have no reason to hold back and not feed on them. Men are only food."

Freya stepped forward. "First, I shall remind you that you agreed personally to not kill anyone, and second, have you seen them? They don't even deserve the pleasure you can bring."

As if on cue, Barbarella raised her voice. "Then let's just use them for breeding. I can guarantee you it's possible to satiate your impulses without pleasing them."

Fatima haughtily laughed at the declaration. "Of course you only see them as breeding nests. You cannot enjoy any subtleness in the act of dominating them."

Cassandra darkly chuckled. "It doesn't matter. In all cases, he end up as a moaning mess."

Laura sneered. "Mmh. Do you even consider them when you have your way with them? Of course not. You only think about yourself, forgetting the mind melting pleasure that you bring your partners, and these three…" she haughtily gestured the general direction where the men were kept. "Deserve none of that. In fact we should remove them from the castle's premises. Also, I should remind you that you consider yourself married to Luka."

Spider Princess chuckled darkly. "It's only for reproduction. I still consider myself free to feed on everyone. I don't attach myself to someone dead for an eternity."

Both groups exploded and colorful words started flying once again after the unsubtle personal attack. Mephisto slammed a small hammer on her stand to bring back the calm.

"Now now, let's keep it civil and on point."

The debate kept going on and on through the night…

* * *

"Wow. This is NOT what I expected for the night of the Purple Sabbath."

The White Rabbit was leaning on the orb the administrator of death was using to watch what was happening through the world from her sanctum. She indeed had herself expected to have more work to do this evening since succubi had a tendency to get carried away a bit in the heat of the moment, but surprisingly nobody died yet.

The sight of monsters debating whether they should molest a bunch of perverts or not however had left her silent. Even amidst the madness surrounding the hero's adventure, this particular event was downright just weird. Most monsters would have jumped them without questions, but not them.

"I can understand them. I wouldn't touch them either." The White Rabbit turned toward her colleague. "Would you?"

Reaper directly snapped back. "As the administrator of all things related to death, I cannot afford to care for such lowly activity. My role and my person both place me above that."

"You didn't answer!"

"Of course not."

The White Rabbit tilted her head left and right, trying to discern if Reaper was her usual introvert self or was actually making fun of her. The black coated monster ignored her and changed the focus on her orb to take a look at Succubus Village. If the place was as busy as it was for the last Purple Sabbaths, Reaper didn't take any interest in what was shown and focused on its inhabitants. As she thoroughly examined them, she noticed that there was less than one human for four succubi on average, and quite a lot of the sex fiends were roaming around empty handed, with frustration appearing clearly on their face. Fortunately, a few wanderers joined the party from time to time.

The White Rabbit shrugged in front of the orb. It was a bad night to live in the countryside of the Gold Region.

"Welp. They're still not as frustrated as their granny, are they?"

Reaper nodded and took the cue. The orb changed color several times, and eventually managed to connect to the pocket dimension where the one responsible for the event was resting.


	42. Story 42: Purple Sabbath - Disrespected?

In a shapeless void, Minagi was sitting on large, stuffed throne while looking at a sphere with an unimpressed expression. She had managed to cast her scrying orb in the outside world, and wanted to see what was happening in the Pocket Castle for the Purple Sabbath. She was thoroughly disappointed. An orgy was only happening in one room with less than half the male inhabitants of the place, and it included none of the heroes. Worse, rather than taking every inhabitant found on the spot, some monsters were debating whether or not they could even be considered partners.

She pouted as she saw some of her sister's creations losing themselves in pointless augments rather than in pleasure as they should. They were monsters. There were males available (and even willing) to have their way with them. It should have happened naturally. Instead, she only had this boring argument that had threatened to devolve into a barbaric fight before that yoma teacher stepped in. Maybe Tamamo would have liked this, but not her.

A while ago, when she saw the little hero and his battle harem appear, she initially hoped she would get to enjoy something a league above the usual show in Succubus Village that happened during during the Purple Sabbath. The party there had become so ritualized and so routine that it had lost some of its luster over time. However, seeing several men, including two legendary heroes, surrounded by a large number of monsters? That should have been an interesting spectacle. And instead, she got… that.

A sing song childish voice echoed from the darkness. "What is onee-chan doing?"

Minagi closed her eyes while unconsciously passing a hand through her long, silky hair. "I am trying to find something entertaining to watch for what should be a memorable evening. Also please drop the cutesy act when we're just between us. I'm in no mood to cajole you right now."

The voice became slightly more serious. "I was just bored. Sorry." Hiruko stepped out of the shadow, her small figure clad in a red coat with furred extremities sauntering toward the succubus. As she took a coy pause with her hands behind her back, her yellow eyes took a peek at what Minagi was watching, while a tentacle affectionately snuggled around her sister's wrist. "Wow. That sucks. Couldn't they just eat them up?"

Minagi scrolled her orb toward the cells where the three men that made the object of this stupid debate were held.

The first man she saw was a strong-looking adventurer. Clad in a green outfit, his eyes were those of a seasoned warrior. He was patiently waiting while the verbal fight between both sides was still raging, as if it was just another day for him. She licked her lips as her eyes feasted on him and her imagination started running wild over his endurance. Pictures popped in her head as she envisioned the pleasures she could share with him as she sucked him dry with those currently distracted descendants of her watching in awe. As if he noticed her, he pulled a cherry out of his pocket and started rolling it on his tongue while looking cross eyed. The eyebrow raising action killed the good mood of the succubus, and she decided to take a look at the two other guys instead.

The first of the remaining two men had a utility vest she had already seen on those that regularly used makinas. There wasn't anything remarkable about him at first… Until she noticed that he glanced a little too frequently at the lavatories. She skipped in a hurry, as lovers with those kinds of obsessions had a tendency to destroy the atmosphere in the middle of the act by making a particularly humiliating request.

The last one was mostly naked and hiding in a corner like a frightened animal. At first, she felt a bit of pity for him… until the man pulled out panties from somewhere and started pleasuring himself with it. He had the opportunity to go for the cream of the crop of sexy monsters, and instead he had chosen to do this? There was no interest in playing with an already broken toy.

The succubus remained impassible, but the scylla was grimacing at the pathetic sight.

"You know what? I don't think I would touch them either."

Minagi solemnly nodded. "Agreed. Let's try to find one of the heroes. They should be more entertaining to watch."

The succubus ancestor easily managed to find Heinrich, but the man was currently eating in a restaurant in the company of Alicetromeria. Even from beyond her orb, the succubus could feel the threatening aura of the disguised Monster Lord, a wordless explanation as to why Heinrich remained unapproached in this night of debauchery. She gauged the behavior of the two companions, and deduced that they were unlikely to get it on anytime soon. She zoomed back and only saw the empty streets of Grandeur, devoid of activities. There was nothing else of interest to see here.

The orb moved back even more, and the landscape inside started moving at high speed once again. After a while, the succubus identified the signature of the Daystar's son with her youngest daughter, and she managed to center her orb on it. The sight stopped on the colosseum, and the succubus smiled as everything she was feeling promised for a good show. She zoomed in to see what was happening inside, expecting a spectacle for the ages.

Her expression decomposed. It was indeed the show of the century… But not quite the one she expected.

Meanwhile Hiruko was already rolling on the floor laughing, her tentacles expanding and contracting randomly.

* * *

The sky around Grand Noah was illuminated by fireworks, makinas and spells cast from the colosseum. The place was as illuminated as daytime, and every seat was filled with someone chanting or singing the name of tonight's performers.

"Huooooooh!"

In the center of the colosseum, a stage surrounded by a lot of heavy makinas had been installed. There, four succubi dressed in pink, short cut frilly dresses were dancing and singing happily. At the center of the scene was a sweating Luka. The hero's fingers were moving at great speed over the strings of a guitar that was connected to sound amplifiers. Periodically, one of the succubus or another staff member cast a spectacular spell that illuminated the area spectacularly.

"We're magical! We're girls! We're magical girls! Bringing your dreams to life and your life to heaven! No matter if you're young, you're old or a heathen! Come to us! Embrace us! But don't die for us because we want you!"

The four singers took a pause with their left hand raised while doing a victory symbol, and the stage fell silent for a moment while the crowd cheered happily as the song ended. Just afterward, Luka started the first beat for a new, electric song. Soon enough, Saki, the idol succubus started singing.

"When you're this swag the world just bows at your knee!"

"Saki!"

"Marry me! Huoooooh!"

She continued singing before another succubus stepped forward and took her turn.

"Don't get me off, 'cause I'll just get irate!"

"Alma Elma! The queen of our heart!"

"All succubi are our queens!"

As she ended her part, another succubus stepped forward.

"Gotta get out and get back to business!"

"Evaaaaa!"

"So mooooe!"

"Marry me! I'll sustain you foreveeeeer!"

She stepped back before the last member of the quartet took her place.

"The heaven frown upon us on this daaaaay!"

"Morrigaaaaaan! Suck me dryyyyyy!"

"So magical! So stimulating!"

The succubi all stepped forward to sing the final chorus, and a thundering applause exploded once again as they ended their song. Everybody, save for one person, screamed their happiness and their support to the group.

That one spectator was a small figure concealed by a hooded cloak and was happily munching on a slice of thin fried tofu. She also was one of the three people that had the biggest responsibility in the event tonight. She was both afraid of what she helped create and enjoyed it to a degree she didn't feel comfortable with. In any case, every single second of what was happening was getting preciously recorded in a makina she was carrying, as well as in her memory. She knew her _partner in crime_ also set up makinas to register everything, but she wanted her own record for herself. She kept telling herself that it was for educational purpose and for entertainment, but a part of her forced her to admit that said material would be more useful for blackmailing purposes.

A new song started, and she found herself humming it in rhythm before soon. Her magical senses suddenly picked up an unidentified long range observation spell. She analyzed the invisible eye in the sky: It had been here for a few minutes, and the signal it transmitted didn't have any direction, which meant it came from another dimension. She focused on the signature of the orb, and felt a wave of relief coupled with amusement when the most defining element was the almost overwhelming lust radiating.

_Hey Minagi, you're watching it too, aren't you? Can you hear me? No? Too bad… I'd have thrown away a lover to see your face right now. That's right, for the Purple Sabbath, one of your dear little daughter is part of a show, transformed as a magical girl. How do you feel about it? That might actually be enough to make you lose your cool, doesn't it? I don't think her sisters know about it, but don't worry, soon, the whole world will be able to see…_

Even if her mental taunts were unheard, the small figure felt slightly happier than before. Once she considered she got enough material, she got up in the middle of the song, and started making her way backstage, unnoticed by all. Even then, she kept shaking her head according to the rhythm.

"We will, we will FUCK YOU!"

* * *

Not a single guard stopped her as she made her way through the wings of the colosseum. Only a few people could notice her, and the few that did were either too scared to do anything or used to be one of her own subordinate. She sniffed the air to try to pick up a particular scent, but didn't manage to catch the one she wanted. She took a look around, and passed in front of the lodges of the artists, smirking as memories of her partner's infamous plans crossed her mind. Eventually, the small figure heard a strange, ticking noise, as if a snake was cackling, followed by the sporadical sound of metallic clicking. She stomped the floor, and felt a hidden door draw itself in the middle of a wall in front of her.

Sighing, she silently opened the concealed door behind which her target was hiding. The not-so-secret room was relatively small, and was illuminated by crystal globes fixed on the wall. At the center of the room was a reverse lamia rolling over a human sized pile of golden coins, gleefully enjoying her gains. The newcomer closed the door before announcing herself.

"Greetings, Amira. I am glad you profited that much from our arrangement."

"KYUUUU!" the lamia fell on the ground in a particularly inelegant way. She got up and tried to look around, scared for her life.

The figure took of her cowl, revealing two large fluffy triangular golden ears above two green eyes with vertical pupils, themselves standing above a childish, yet tired smile.

"It's you! You should have warned me!" The reverse lamia clicked her tongue. The action made Tamamo No Mae's ears flicker.

"You did every effort to make yourself as inaccessible as possible because you were afraid of what Morrigan's sister could do upon you as possible retribution. I had no way to tell you I was coming."

"Tsk! Whose idea was it to get her to participate in that show anyway!"

"Your. I only told you how to get her and Alma Elma to do anything for you, as well as the risk involved. You're the one who decided to do this show to get money."

"And what was I supposed to do with this information?" Amira clicked her tongue once again. "Let it got to waste?"

"No, only draw the line to how much you can earn from it. That whole show is impressive. But pimping the Succubus Queen and one of the Lilith Sisters to horny fans? This is going to backfire."

Amira chuckled. "All of the fans who bought tickets for a _devilish night_ signed forms that remove any responsibility we can have on the matter. The succubi can suck them dry, it won't be a problem."

Tamamo started fanning herself. "A lawsuit for murder will only be a minor inconvenience compared to the worst that can happen."

Amira's eyes narrowed as she looked at the kitsune. "Are you threatening me? I can easily have you thrown out and hunted like the vermin you are!"

Her interlocutor checked the enchantments around the door. One way magical dampeners, she could go wild… Her aura started flaring, scaring the reverse lamia who hid herself behind the pile of coins.

"I should remind you that I am one of the Heavenly Knight, a monster that by her strength alone stand above all queens, and whose wisdom is a myth through the world. I am not a rubbish scammer trying to get some petty money." She didn't speak any louder, reinforcing the weight in each of her words.

Her aura died down. "I am only trying to help you." She ended her sentence by flashing a small smile. "As thanks for creating something so entertaining."

"Mmh." Amira clicked her tongue once again, which started getting on the fox's nerves. "All right. I will listen to you."

"First, let's find a way to get sure that… huh?"

The kitsune felt two signatures coming this way. The mix of lust magic and wind around them coupled with their power level identified them to the kitsune's trained senses. Their approach didn't bode well, and Tamamo could already hear the blue haired succubus's irritated voice.

"Alma Elma and Morrigan are coming. The show's already over?!"

"They were at their last song when you entered. Now is the time for Lucretia's aerial ballet. Didn't you read the show's program? Or did you just take your sweet time?" The lamia's condescending tone really started to irritate the kitsune.

"Even then, they should have no reason to come here!" Tamamo's patience for her partner was starting to wear thin.

The kitsune considered her options. If she went out right now, she'd assuredly get caught by the succubi. This could compromise her plan, and, more importantly, put her at their mercy.

"I'll hide, keep them on this side of your hard earned gains."

Tamamo graciously jumped behind the large pile of coins and put her hood back on. That might not be enough, but it was the best way to avoid getting found out for now. A few seconds later, Alma Elma and Morrigan entered, still transformed as magical girls. The former looked unhappy, but the latter looked all simply furious.

"Hey! You! About our deal! I agreed to participate in this show in this ridiculous getup if I got Luka for myself right after! And I learned you told the same thing to Alma Elma?" She shoved herself as close to Amira's face as it was possible without contorting herself. "What's that about?!"

_Come on! I told her to offer a different hero to each of them to precisely avoid that! She would never have been to fulfill that anyway but she would have been able to renegotiate the deal! She's about to be blown off!_

"Well, when we created this concert for coexistence at the occasion of the Purple Sabbath, Luka told me he was ready to do anything to have the greatest succubi around. And since I knew each of you were interested to have him for yourself, I thought it was a great idea to tell him that he should pay a little of himself to make sure it comes to pass if you catch my drift."

"And you used that argument to convince both of us while hoping we wouldn't catch on?!"

"Trust me, I realized my mistake, and as such, I invited Heinrich so that each of you could have your own hero for yourself."

"Fine then. Where is he?" Morrigan twisted around, trying to look over the heap of gold. "Right behind your hard earned gains?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"He was willing to participate but alas!" Amira dramatically turned. "His companion didn't seem to consider letting go of him."

Tamamo relaxed ever so slightly. At least, the lamia knew how to improvise when it came to creating excuses. She could hear Alma Elma sigh.

"You could have used a part of the show's benefits to buy food to bribe Alicetromeria. Maybe we should take a bigger share to make up for it…"

As soon as the succubus queen started moving toward the pile, Amira threw herself between her and her treasure, making part of the top of the pile collapse toward a kitsune whose worries were growing by the second.

"Wait wait wait! I have something else to offer you instead. Rather than two insipid heroes, I have chosen a selection of fans specifically to give you company for the night!"

Morrigan took a moment to consider the offer. "Huh. From you, that's actually a nice compensation. Maybe I misjudged you and you're not a money crazed profiteer…" A realization made its way through the mind of the succubus, and a disgusted expression gradually appeared on her face. "Unless you always intended to get extra money by making fans pay to sleep with us like you did for Saki and Eva…"

"I would certainly not do anything like that!" Amira sounded indignant.

"You absolutely would." Morrigan sounded jaded. "I can tell that you actually did." She made a dismissive gesture. "Fiiine, we'll take them anyway. You better give us a cut of those ticket sales as well. I know how much people would pay to simply touch either of us, so don't cut us or you'll regret it."

"Fine! You'll get half of it!"

"Make it three quarters. We're doing the whole heavy lifting on this one."

Amira gasped, but didn't answer, silently consenting to this compromise.

Just when the issue looked resolved, Alma Elma started sniffing around.

"It smells like thin fried tofu… Did one of the kitsunes enter this room?"

The lamia jumped up. "No!"

Tamamo inwardly facepalmed. That was the worst possible answer the lamia could have given. Anyone with a modicum of perception could tell she was lying.

"Oooh. Are you hiding something?" Morrigan started grinning while charging both of her hands with her aura while inching closer to the panicking reverse lamia. "Well, we'll make you talk, I'm pretty sure those boys can wait a few more minutes…"

"Wait, wait, wait, I can explain!"

"You better do it fast, the faster you do start, the less tickets you'll have to pay back… Hehehe… HAHAHA!"

Nobody spared a glance at the small form leaving through the still-open door in a hurry.

* * *

Tamamo made her way to Luka's lodge. Contrary to the succubi's, his was very discreet and unmarked. She knocked twice fast, then once, then twice again. The door opened to reveal a wary Luka, and she lowered her hood when she entered. The hero closed the door right afterwards.

"Amira really screwed that up. I almost got caught by Alma Elma and Morrigan." Tamamo removed her cloak, freeing her nine wondrously fluffy tails. "Did you give her the full plan?"

Luka shrugged. "I did." The hero sat on a large couch and sighed. "But she seemed distracted and looked over a few important details. What did go wrong?"

"She pushed her luck and tried to get extra by selling their services."

Luka looked down. "Of course, she couldn't help herself..."

"And she's going to pay the piper..." Tamamo smirked. "Well, let's move on then." She licked her lips as she looked at Luka with a salacious smirk. "Do you want me like that or do you prefer me to go as an ancestor?"

Luka shuffled awkwardly a bit. "I'd like to see you in your full glory, but… If I didn't want to deal with the succubi, it's because I was worried they'd be too hungry and they're terrifying then, and your true form is… well…"

"Oh, don't worry, I know how to behave myself." She was a bit surprised that Luka acted so meekly considering how many times he had wrestled with a monster. Then again, if he knew about her past self, his concern was more legitimate. "I learnt to over time."

Tamamo chanted the words of dispel that would give her back her true body. She was now standing tall in all her glory, her ever so curvy figure a feast to Luka's eyes. The hero gasped when her dress hit the floor. She slowly made her way to him while swaying her hips, and soon enough her tails started working on freeing him from his clothes. Luka was silently getting excited by the sight of her body and the tickling touches of her tail, which pulled a chuckle out from Tamamo.

"Please relax, I will take care of everything and make sure we both enjoy this night to its fullest…"

After all, why the Purple Sabbath should be limited to succubi?


	43. Story 43: Purple Sabbath - Awkward

Under a purple moon, a young man was wandering alone in the streets of a curiously empty town. He looked warily at his surroundings, not unlike a small scared animal.

"Why did I go outside alone? I should have asked my friends to accompany me. What if a monster attacks me?"

He stopped in the middle of the street. In the midst of the few noises that came from the wind, he could hear a light stepping noise. He slowly turned to see several hooded figures approaching him from behind at a brisk pace. He continued walking forward. At first, it was at the same speed he did beforehand. But soon enough, he increased his pace. A little bit after, he started trotting. Right afterwards, he engaged in full blown sprinting.

_Don't go out alone at night._

The man looked back to see the strange figures were still following him. They apparently hadn't increased their pacing, but it felt like that they were only coming closer and closer.

Eventually he decided to run into a small street on the side. He found himself blundering around noisily, as it was filled with stacked waste and was badly illuminated as well. As he progressed, he started hearing a regular wet noise mixed with moaning and giggling. He slowly made his way around, and ended up discovering the source of the sound: Several succubi were having their ways with two men. He tried moving back while hypnotized by the spectacle, and ended up stumbling because of the slightly uneven ground.

Upon hearing him swear, several of the free succubi turned toward him and lecherously licked their lips.

"My, why don't you come closer to have some fun with us?"

_Avoid darker streets._

The man started running away once again to reach another large street. Luckily, there was no sign of the original group that had been following him. He started running with the succubi in tow.

"Don't run! You'll only exhaust yourself uselessly!"

He ran for a minute before entering another narrow street. Luckily, the monsters that were following him all tried to enter the small passageway at the same time, and ended up blocking each other.

He sighed in relief, but kept running deeper into the dark anyway. After a second, he saw a man calling out to him from the back entrance of a house. He entered the place, and the other man locked the entrance behind him.

Before he could thank him, however, he saw once again that there were several succubi surrounding them.

"These lasses wanted more company to share. Have fun!"

_Be careful of suspicious invitations._

Before he could do anything, several succubi jumped on him. He tried struggling for a second, but their raw number was enough to keep him on the ground. He felt his clothes being ripped and his energy leaving him as the succubi planted kisses upon kisses on him.

"No, no, no!"

"Come on, just relax and enjoy!"

The sex demons kept molesting him, deaf to his protests. One of them started straddling him, and after a while, he eventually gave up.

A second later, everything turned black.

* * *

"Since we can use those picture-displaying makinas for entertainment, I considered the idea to create recordings for an educative purpose. As such, with the participation of willing actors, we decided to make our first recording a warning of possible risks one have to take into account when going outside for the Purple Sabbath. If we connect the makinas to a network managed in one place, we could show this to everyone through the world. Any question?"

The scholar responsible for the show switched of the makina and looked around him: he had worked hard to create his video, and wanted to be recognized for it. To this end, he had used his relations to gather the lords of this world to show them the result of his work. As a result, while he managed to keep a calm appearance, he was boiling inside, giddy with the perspective of having this name on the same level of the queens and the kings currently present. He was writing history.

He didn't get quite the reaction he expected from the assembly though. The royals and their councilors that assisted to the demonstration didn't seem moved by what they just saw. They were whispering amongst themselves for several minutes before the Grand Noah queen spoke up.

"The work put into it is impressive, but did you have to make it so graphic?"

The scholar answered enthusiastically. "It's because we need to shock people so that it works! We want people to talk about it so that the message spread, and we want it to stay in their brain. And to that end, it must be disturbing, otherwise, should it be too mild, it will be forgotten in an heartbeat."

The Grand Noah queen discussed with her fellow royals, and after a while, it was clear that all of them had come to the same conclusion.

"We appreciate both the quantity and the quality of the effort you did put into you work, but we have several issues with what we've just seen."

"Please, go ahead."

"First, while we all agree that educating the population about the risk of frequenting a more predatory monster girl is a necessity, we don't think that your work is fitting for that specific end."

The scholar frowned.

"A work like that is going to be ignored by the more perverted fringes of the population, which is also the one more likely to end up like the unfortunate victim in your demonstration. We're also afraid that the more paranoid elements will react too strongly to the message, and the last thing we want is to harness fear from them against an important share of our population."

"But there's a danger to warn people against!"

"Don't get me wrong, we speak from firsthand experience when we say we know how dangerous the more predatory monsters can get, but we're afraid people at large will lump the more benign monsters with them, which would force some of the latter to adopt a more dangerous behavior, furthering the cycle of violence."

"I'm aware of that. This is why we will only show it just before the Purple Sabbath."

"Wait, you did it specifically for the Purple Sabbath?"

"Yes, of course!"

Everyone was speechless in front of the scholar's declaration. The man started sweating bullets.

"The next one will be in a hundred years. Did you take that into account before going ahead with your work?"

The scholar meekly answered. "No."

He then fell unconscious in front of everyone.

His work was fully abandoned when his colleague's body was discovered. The man had been sucked dry by a pack of succubi he invited in his apartment. Apparently the lesson hadn't taken root in his brain.

* * *

Mephisto was massaging her temples in exhaustion. Even the five cups of Sabasan coffee she had drunk had difficulties keeping her awake. The debate between monsters that wanted to feed on the three perverts and those that judged them unworthy of the pleasure monsters could bring had raged for the better part of the night, and nobody had budged an inch on the matter. While no monster had changed side, a lot of them had stopped caring and had simply left.

"I got it, you don't want me to just have my way with any of them because you consider them perverts unworthy of the pleasure a monster can bring. But what if I eat them afterward? That would balance it, wouldn't it?" Both Cassandra and Barbarella solemnly nodded at Spider Princess, silently approving her words.

"No!"

"And why not?"

"Because we're a team, and all of you promised Luka to behave! This include not killing any allies! Do you really need him to beat some sense into you again?" The elf queen was livid.

Spider Princess pondered the words of her rival for a moment, before she started speaking up again.

"Then if I do my best to not please him when I feed on him?"

Freya sighed. "This was one of the first argument you presented, and you told it more than twenty times already!" She looked at her supporters. She realized that most of them were tired of this debate and were only here either by pure respect for her or for one of the two fellow queens supporting her. Laura, Fatima and herself looked at each other, and silently agreed that it was time to let go. Her voice turned bitter.

"Fine. You win. You're free to do with them as you please as long as Luka accepts the consequences." She gestured to the cell. "So go ahead."

"Ah ah! I knew you would relent in front of my clever strategy. Now, time to exercise the victor's right…"

Spider Princess stopped herself a few meters away from the cell. Gradually, in front of the pathetic sight of the men inside, her proud, haughty grin deflated into a sulking frown. Her shoulders slumped. And she felt her hunger leaver her as her stomach slightly churned.

"Actually… You know what? I do not want to have them anymore."

Mephisto stopped massaging her temples, not even trying to look up at what was happening. "What."

"I no longer want to have my way with those men!" The arachne sneered in frustration. "I do not know if it is because I find them disgusting or because of something else, but I do not want to touch them now. I don't know why we lost so much time for that when we could have enjoyed this night to its fullest. In fact, I'll leave for Grand Noah to enjoy the party there before it's over. Those who want to join me are welcome." She turned away from the men who stood there, surprised. She stopped herself midway and turned back one final time. "And get yourself a pride!"

The yoma that mediated the debate looked at the scene dumbfounded. Was all of it for nothing? Was it entirely pointless? She decided to shrug it off and jogged toward the group, ending side by side with the elf queen who didn't look too happy either.

"I can't believe we spent so long debating something so trivial. I hope she will be less thick-headed in the future, but I doubt it."

Mephisto smirked. "From a certain perspective, even if you apparently gave up, your side is the victor."

Freya groaned. "I am not petty enough to call out anyone to tell them so. As far as I'm concerned, we just all lost some time. Let us make way to the colosseum fast, with a little luck, the show is not over yet!"

Soon, every monster had left the underground of the Pocket Castle, leaving the three men stuck in their cell. The Scat Captain, as he was called, made his way to the exit of the cell before an obvious issue struck him.

"So… Can someone open this door please?"

* * *

In the Monster Lord's castle, three succubi were having their own party with a precise goal in mind. Of course, they also took the opportunity to enjoy it, even if it meant going through the castle's _food supplies_ in less than a night. They initially thought of it as a costly investment, but if they managed to exploit the Purple Sabbath to unseal Minagi, this small sacrifice would be worth it.

A large circle covered in runes and other sexual symbols had been drawn at the center of one of the dungeon's largest room. Several men had been placed at regular intervals in and around. While some of them had been entranced through magic or other drugs, most of them were volunteers that the Lilith Sisters had found in the countryside. They were both afraid of what was going to happen and eagerly waiting for the touch of the succubi. Several artifacts had also been placed around, such as a vial with a strange liquid, an old bedpost, several scented candles, and a long, silky white ribbon at the center.

Morrigan rubbed her hands gleefully as she looked at the scene. "Sooo, table's fully set, the meal's cooking up nicely, and both Alipheese and these damn foxes are away. Maybe we can make this work."

Astaroth stretched a little, warming up like an athlete before a marathon. "I wonder where they went. I know the Monster Lord's busy checking the Sealed Sinner Prison and Yao went back to Kitsune Village, but for the love of all that is fun, where is that damn golden kitsune? She could screw up everything."

The youngest of the Lilith Sisters made a dismissive gesture. "Bah, we placed every ward and warning systems imaginable around the room, she won't be able to do anything at that point anyway."

"You're right." Astaroth lecherously licked her lips while the tip of her tail opened and closed repeatedly. "Should we get started then?"

"Hang on." Lilith looked around the place, unsatisfied. "We might be missing goats."

"Heh?" Morrigan looked at her older sister with a raised eyebrow. "Oh yeah, that one time in Scenic Mountain might be considered important. Not sure about the one in San Ilia though." She scratched her head, lost in thoughts.

Astaroth disappeared and came back a bit later with her hands loaded with two young goats, one black and one white. "Here's to hoping that they don't move too much. There shouldn't be any problem if they start licking the runes though."

Morrigan grimaced back. "Hang on. Where did you even find them?" One of the goat started bleating.

Astaroth shrugged. "Just try not screaming too loud or moving too fast, we don't want to scare them." She proceeded to turn toward the bound men. "This is available for you too!"

Most men were too enthralled by the succubi's sexual magnetism to offer a coherent response back.

The oldest of the Lilith Sisters was now reading a book that she had found in Tamamo's hidden library. She wanted to get sure they'd have the best chance to break the seal that was holding back their mother in this dimension, but the conflicting memories in her brain about her parent's escapades were making this harder than she wanted. What did her mother here did differently than the one back home? She checked everything once more and closed a book with a big smile.

"Well, we can get started." The purple haired succubus removed her sweater. "Have fun!"

The three succubi fed on the men in a frenzy that lasted for an hour. Once they were done, only the sisters and the two goats were still alive, every man reduced to a dry body after having perished in a burst of pleasure with a smile on their face. The Lilith Sisters had kept an eye on the circle all the while, and it while it had reacted to their party, there was not a sign of the desired result. All the energies that the succubi had harvested that had been channeled into their ritual had no apparent effect.

"Mmmh. Did it fail?" Lilith looked at the apathetic symbol on the floor. "Did we make a mistake? Or was it just not enough?"

"Damn." Astaroth punched the ground. "And I'm still feeling hungry. Wanna go eat something at Yamatai?"

"First round's on me!"

Not sparing a second thought for their apparent failure, the Lilith Sisters left the dungeon as is to be cleaned by the servants of the castle. They brought the party of the Purple Sabbath to Yamatai Village, to the great displeasure of Yamata No Orochi.

* * *

Minagi sighed as her observation orb moved away from the Sister's little party. Their intent was commendable, but they had just made so, so many mistakes it actually made her slightly sad.

They hadn't invited fellow succubi. They only brought in males, and none of them were heroes. And the goats should have been covered with milk or _other_ fluids. Even Hiruko was pouting in front of the scene. While it had made for a good show, the rushed, sloppy execution had been frustrating to see. Her parallel self had not educated them well. Or was she the one responsible? She started grimacing as she tried remembering what she taught them.

The scylla turned to see her sister's frowning face."Awww, please don't be sad… At least they tried." The succubus remained silent, and took a last look in her orb to see Succubus Village. The spectacle there was indeed as mundane as she remembered. The one who got to enjoyed the most that night dedicated to succubi was that damn fox that was her sister. Even when Minagi developed her own complex plan in the past, Tamamo always found a way to benefit from it like a parasite. Frustrated, the succubus ancestor revoked her orb and closed her eyes.

Minagi could feel tentacles starting to crawl around her, and felt her body curiously relaxing from their touch. She realized that what she had seen this night had frustrated her more than she wanted to admit, and that she could definitively enjoy any other form of entertainment right now. She felt a weight on her lap while more tentacles kept crawling and coiling around her. She opened her eyes to see Hiruko kneeling on top of her legs, smiling, with a large number of tentacles sprouting from under her skirt and from her hands.

"Want a full body massage to relax a little?"

Minagi chuckled. "Please go on gently with the digestive fluids. They're annoying to clean."

Hiruko gave an uncanny smile. "No promises are made!"

* * *

Christie was stumbling around through the Pocket Castle, her mind in a daze. The succubus that wanted to live as a nun didn't manage to resist the call of the Purple Sabbath, and her succubus instinct had completely possessed her. It didn't take her more than a single second to cast aside her veil once the purple moon was present in the sky, and she had joined one of the hunting party in the castle in her lust. Her memories of what happened afterward were hazy at best, she only remembered riding the guard from Ilias Village for half an hour before being tossed aside by someone else who wanted a turn. She felt ashamed for her lack of self control and the actions that resulted from it. Her elders were right, maybe if she had focused on controlling and not on supressing her urges, her shameful moments would end up being few in beteween.

She was only wearing her panties when she saw a stranger vision at the corner of a new hallway. A small fox spirit was swaying left and right, repeating the same word again and again in a sing song voice. The hallway was filled with wrecked furnitures. As she got closer, she could finally understand what the kudagitsune was saying.

"Fifteen, fifteen, fifteen..."

Christie carefully made her way to the kudagitsune.

"What happened here?"

"You all did that. Fifteen, fifteen, fifteen..."

"We did?"

"Fifteen, fifteen, fifteen..."

She decided to ignore the strange behavior from the fox spirit and continued on her way, still stumbling and half ashamed. She did remember that some monsters were getting extraordinarily rowdy, but it hadn't seemed THAT bad. Until she was now faced with the vision of what their frolicking had done. Luka would certainly not be happy to see that, and neither would Mephisto...

She started carefully making her way through the mess when she heard a clicking noise. The next second, she found herself propelled at the roof, before being thrown down, and then tossed around like if she was in a spin drier. Barely a few seconds later, she finally stopped beinf tossed around, unconscious.

The only one who came to see the commotion made was a certain four tailed samurai who coveted a certain human who had fallen prey to a certain bunch of nymphomaniacs.

Izuna silently removed the panties from the succubus, took a good look at them, and put them in the bag over her shoulder. She then moved her victim's body into the room next door where several other monsters were in the same state as her latest victim. The only other thing present in the room was a a note stuck on a wall.

_If you're looking for your underwears, they've been sold to Pornof. Have a nice day._

The fox samurai prepared a new trap for the next victim while her kudagitsune changed her song.

"Sixteen, sixteen, sixteen..."

* * *

After a long night of debauchery, the sun's ray finally blessed Succubus Village. When the mayor looked at the place that was filled with her now sleeping kin and their unconscious partners, strange feelings mixed in her stomach. At first, she was glad to have celebrated this night properly in her village, even if a lot of her friends had chosen to organize their own party in the castle or in Grand Noah's coliseum. However, the ambiance in the village itself wasn't actually that different than any other day. She looked accusingly at the sun. Was the Great Disaster to blame for the event losing its magic? Should she have given it a greater purpose than just making it a night dedicated to pleasrure?

She wandered a little around the village to see how its people were doing. Even if she was wearing a smiling expression when she talked with her citizens, both her wings and her tail were limp, silent testimonies to her troubled state of mind. After spending some time discussing with her fellows, she came to realize that even if not all of them had a partner for the whole night, they were still happy with the party that had just ended. And in the end, it was what mattered the most to her.

She came back to her house to see that Alleria was pampering herself in front of her mirror in the guest's room. An unconscious naked man was lying on a couch behind her, his head hanging on the side. Succubus chuckled at the sight.

"I am glad you're fitting in so well in our village. You're a natural when it comes to following our tradition."

Alleria nodded in front of the mirror. "What can I say? I really enjoyed them."

"To be honest, I'm surprised you didn't turn into a succubus during the Purple Sabbath. Between your lineage and your magic affinity, I thought you would have transformed." When she saw her relative eyeing her, she added something in a hurry. "Not that there's anything wrong with it!"

Alleria chuckled at her turn. "Confidence for confidence, I also did expect to change, but…" She closed her makeup set. "It didn't happen. Maybe there's a reason. Maybe not." She took a paper fan that was standing near the mirror and started waving it to refresh herself. "I don't really care either way though. This won't prevent me from travelling to Grand Noah and have a nice meal there with the hero's group." She looked at the still asleep man. "I wonder if I should bring him too?"

The man groaned before falling of the couch. He stood down, unmoving, unable to spare a thought for the two women looking at him.

"Maybe not."

"Well, in that case, do you want some of the remaining mashed potatoes from yesterday's meal for breakfast before you leave?"

"No, thank you very much."

She preferred staying silent over the fact that the main reason she wanted to go to Grand Noah was because she was growing tired of eating tubers. As much as she liked this village, the food culture imposed by the chief was too limited to her taste.

She stepped outside of the house and appreciated the fresh air for a second, thinking about what she would do in Grand Noah. Lazing at the colosseum sounded like a good plan. Maybe she could even catch on the hero and get a second round with him.

After all, the party shouldn't stop just because the night of the Purple Sabbath was over...

* * *

"_Sooo, it looks like we made it! See? The sun's already rising!"_

"_Fuck you."_

"_Don't be a party pooper! We're fine! And it's over!"_

"…"

"_What, what is it?"_

"_Look up."_

"_What? OHMYGODWHATAREYOUDOINGTHEREGETHEROFFGETHEROFFPLEASESTOPIMDYING."_

"_Figures... Already doOoomph!? Best death ever..."_


	44. Story 44: Imps go on an adventure

"Muhahahaha! Tremble in front of me! For my name strike fear in the heart of everyone who knows it! My legions of terror will soon conquer the world and you will all kneel in front of your empress! First, you will KYIAAAAA!"

"Awww, aren't you the cutest little thing!"

Morrigan lifted Rami from the table the imp was using as a podium to give her speech. When she checked its inside, the conference room of the Pocket Castle was as empty as usual, and the blonde imp had taken the occasion to appropriate it for herself and play pretend with her friends, reigning over a non-existing empire.

Unfortunately for her, the noise ended up attracting the unwanted attention of the blue haired succubus who was just walking outside the room at the wrong time.

"And these are your legions of terror I suppose…" Morrigan pointed at Rumi and Remi. The white and red imp was lying asleep on a chair, while the purple and black one was hiding behind one of the large thrones at the back of the room.

"Pleaaase, leave me aloooone!"

"Yeah, of course…" she dropped the imp before catching her back with her tail. "…Not!"

"Waaahaa! Help me!" In her panic, the imp casted a fireball that roasted the tail of the succubus.

"Hey! Be careful with that! You're gonna set the place on fire!" Morrigan let the imp escape, and looked at the burn stump behind her before regenerating her tail in a heartbeat. "Geeze, calm down, I only wanted to see what the commotion was about. I was worried it was another conflict between an arachne and someone else, those damn spiders have gotten onto everyone's nerves lately."

"We were just pretending we were dominating the world!"

Morrigan smiled at the pathetic looking trio. In spite of being born as lowly imps, their powers had grown quite a lot. However, one was the living incarnation of sloth, the second one was afraid of her own shadow, and their leader had breasts so disproportionate that they also occupied her brain.

"Naaah." She shook her head disapprovingly. "Trust me, dominating the world sucks. First you have to get huuuuge armies and power, and then you have to beat everyone. And when you think you're done, some people will rise up, or one of your bored ally will try to eat you, so you then have to manage all that with secret polices, and by the end of the day, you don't even have a little hour for yourself. It's funnier to go on adventures."

"But Luka isn't here."

"Then why don't you start your own? We did just that with my sisters, mother didn't exactly care as long as she didn't have to clean anything afterwards." The succubus lost herself in the memories. "Aaah, the pleasure to travel with your friends… The joy of finding hidden treasures… The bliss of raping clergymen to death... Those sure were good times… Anyway, why don't you go on your own for a while? I heard there were troubles around Iliasport, you could start there, I'm sure people will appreciate. It's also as good an occasion to train as any."

"Yaaay, thank you for the advice miss Morrigan! Come, my friends! We will walk on Iliasport!"

The three imps left the room, leaving Morrigan alone as she gladly recalled her memories. When she looked back toward the door, she could see Mephisto leaning against the doorframe.

"Are you sure sending those on the road without supervision is a good idea?"

"Pffft, in my time, imps were left alone in the middle of Hellgondo, and they still found heroes to feed on. I'll just go check on them later I suppose."

Mephisto chuckled. "Have you ever been told that you sound like an old lady?"

"Oh, if it isn't the pot calling the kettle out! I'm more active than you ever was and ever will be!"

"Yes, about being active, didn't you want to investigate the chaosization in Ilias Village by interviewing its inhabitants?"

"Oh ffff… Thanks for reminding me. Luka suggested I asked his aunt Beetle or something like that. I'm off!"

"Wait. You, a succubus, are going to Ilias Village, one of the last places where the faith in Ilias is still going strong, to see Luka's Aunt Betty, a traditionalist, as you are?"

"Yeah! Why? What's the matter?"

* * *

Rami was walking around Iliasport, carefully followed by Remi who did every effort to hide herself amongst the dark streets and the heaps of trash present, while Rumi was doing what was tantamount to sleepwalking. Their presence only attracted a few glances from the different passersby, but none of the people around really spared a second thought. There were stranger sights than a trio of imp, and as long as they weren't molesting everyone, they weren't seen as dangerous.

"Good we're now in Iliasport! Wait… How are we supposed to know where there's trouble?"

Remi shivered. "I don't want trouble."

"Why bother..."

Rami remained static for a minute. "I know! There are always rumors to listen to at the local tavern!"

"No! It's always full of scary people."

"Uurgh..."

The trio of imps searched around the town, but couldn't find any tavern. Eventually, they decided to go get some food at the market. As they were munching on fishes, they lent an ear to what was happening around them, in the hope to at least catch good gossips to share once they were back at the castle, when they heard a merchant talk loudly.

"I can't believe there are now monsters who're raiding Iliasport from that damn cave again! Didn't they learn anything the first time?"

Rami made her way to the man. "Hey mister! What it is about Selene's treasure cave?"

The merchant looked awkwardly at the imps before answering mechanically. "Oh, there are monsters who set up their base out there, and they come attack this city from time to time. They're quite dangerous, and nobody who went to the cave came back."

"Okay, thank you!"

Rami then grabbed her two friends and loudly declared. "We know where the source of troubles is! It is up to us to defeat those bad monsters!"

"Wait!" The merchant rushed toward them and grabbed Rami. "It's too dangerous for lowly-."

Before he could finish his sentence, Rumi had turned and punched the man straight into the groin, stopping him instantly as he fell, clutching his wounded area in pain.

"Hueurgh, this better not be yet another bother..."

"Trust me Rumi-chan, I recognize a good adventure when I see one!"

Remi didn't say anything. Instead, she simply shivered for a bit as the group continued toward the outskirts of the town. On their way out, they attracted the attention of a thug who grinned evilly upon seeing the small girls leave the city.

"Look." Two of his friends showed up. "Some weak ass monsters are going to the hidden cave again."

"Damn, they're with the others?"

"No. It's even better. They will fight each other, then we'll only have to sweep in and enjoy the spoils… as well as the wounded monsters… Heheheheee…"

"Damn right! It's time we take our revenge on those bitches!" The thug slammed his fist in the palm of his hand.

"So let's follow them discreetly and see how it goes…"

* * *

Rami was standing at the entrance of the cave, carefully checking its inside. Once it was clear there was no immediate monster ready to lunge at them, she slowly started making her way in. She stood there, a minute, before going back outside.

"The coast is clear! We can explore the cave!"

"Do I really need to move?"

"But this place is too scary!"

"It is a place of adventure! Come on, let's go!"

The trio of imps slowly progressed, sticking closely together in the cave like a trio of scared children. After several minutes of crawling slowly through the caves, Rami entered a room with a chest obviously placed in the middle.

"Hey, look! Treasure! Let's open it!"

"Hueurgh, the lid looks so heavy, why bother?"

"What if it's a trap?"

Ignoring her friends, Rami sauntered toward the chest and opened it without further ceremony.

"KYAAAA!"

She jumped back several meters when the chest revealed itself as a mimic. The indignant monster inside looked at the imp that had just disturbed her.

"Geeze, do you want me to eat you? What is it with people and opening chest in dungeons? Next time, I'm going to enter your room and see how you like it."

Rami apologetically backed away from her. "S-Sorry, it's just there are often treasures in chests lying around…"

The mimic sighed. "This place got already plundered twice. First, by that damn hero, then more recently there's a bunch of pillagers who decided to set up shop at the bottom of the cave."

"Yeah! We came here to get the town rid of them!"

The mimic looked at the pathetic looking imps with wide eyed. Remi was once again shivering from behind a corner, peeking from time to time, while Rumi was resting against a wall, her eyes closed.

"…You don't have a single chance against them. There are arachne lords, high class vampires, and even a few elves. I have no idea what they're here for."

"Sure! Don't worry, we'll be fine!"

Rami enthusiastically walked further down cavern, followed not so enthusiastically by her two friends. The cave itself was surprisingly calm: There were no spider girls or other monsters wandering around, ready to attack any unfortunate intruder. The imps didn't notice, but it was clear that all past inhabitants had fled the place following the arrival of the new group. They didn't notice the large number of strings dangling from the ceiling either.

After a few minutes, Rami, Rumi and Remi arrived in front of the room where Captain Selene's treasure used to be. The room was filled with slightly more than a dozen monsters, most of them arachnes, but there also were two elven amazoness, an ancient vampire, and a pair of insectoid monsters looking like noblewomen. One of them groaned when she saw the three imps approaching.

"Drispa! Your alarm system is a failure, I'm afraid!"

An arachne came closer. "What?" She finally noticed the three imps. "Damn, they're too small, they just passed under!"

"Then next time, maybe you will be thorough and not simply botch your work because you're in a hurry to laze."

"Does it matter?" She licked her lips. "The dinner is served." The three imps recoiled slightly in fear.

The noblewoman looked disgusted. "I never understood your regime. We're not that desperate."

"Besides." The vampire glided toward them. "They're just children. We are above that."

"Above that?!" Another arachne started fuming in rage. "Just like our leaders are above petty things such as their people's resentment?! They betrayed us for the hero that pushed us back into our caves, for cattle that only exist to be fed upon!"

"You're right, but…" One of the amazoness stood up. "…They're only monster children. Not humans, we're not here for them and there's no reason to attack them."

"But I'm just hungry." An arachne licked her lips.

"Hueuurgh, spiders are so disgusting. I'm surprised the hero even accepted to recruit your lord."

Another arachne glared at the insult. "Oh, you think you're better? Kicked out of your village because you simply couldn't stop eating humans like a voracious whore?"

The insect noblewoman's face contorted in anger. "That's IT. You went too far."

A fight started between both monsters, as the insect jumped on the spider. They were joined by several others, leading to a full on brawl in the cavern. Only a few of them were not involved.

An older arachne glared at the imp. "See what you did, you weak children?"

Rami awkwardly scratched her head and stuttered. "But we only came here because we wanted to help those nice townsmen…"

The arachne's eyes widened in surprise. "You came here to help humans against us? Wait… I recognize you! You're those filthy imps that accompanied the hero Luka! Kill them!"

"Waaah!"

In a panic, Rami launched a fireball at the arachne, who ended up half singed for her trouble. She tried jumping at the small blonde imp, but got stopped by an arrow of light that came from behind, then got knocked out by a flurry of strikes from Rumi.

"They're so annoying… Can't they just leave us alone…"

"They're scary!"

In surprise, the ancient vampire and the amazoness charged at the trio of imp. The amazoness struck at Rumi with her spear, but the latter managed to nonchalantly grab it, and pulled the stunned elf forward, before punching her unconscious.

The vampire glided in the air toward the imp that ran away frightened, furious. She was not one to look for easy preys, but those annoyances were currently threatening their party. She managed to corner the small imp, but her target started glowing.

"No! No! Leave me alone!"

The next second, a barrage of light arrows disintegrated the elder vampire apart, reducing her to a handful of ash.

Eventually, the monsters were all wounded or too tired to continue. The bottom of the cavern was filled with the sound of pain-filled groans. Rami proudly looked at the mess and declared that the situation was resolved, leaving the bandits behind in their state.

"And let it be a lesson!" She left by the ladder leading outside, once again followed by her unenthusiastically moving friend.

* * *

"These useless scraps…"

Once she woke up, the arachne elder was fuming. After that small skirmish, the group split apart as everybody realized that, while they had a common goal, there were too many ideological conflicts between them to even function as a group.

And they left her alone. They were so close to their target, and they left her alone. They would have destroyed the hero's village, breaking his spirit and everyone's trust in him, but these cowards had abandoned her and their mission.

"No matter. I'll destroy the hero's village alone!" She chuckled madly.

She looked around her. Some of them had even abandoned their equipment. Those fools had invested up to the last of their gold for the best gear they could get to take their vengeance against the one responsible. And they gave up just like that.

She heard some movement from the hallway. Was one of those fools coming back to her to ask for forgiveness and to join her again? She scoffed. Maybe it was Stena, the vampire elder had disappeared during battle…

"Is that you Stena? Did you deal with those filthy imps? Those small whores deserve death!"

The movement stopped. She felt a small gust of wind, but couldn't see anything. The next second, she felt something rubbery tightening around her throat, choking her human body, while someone had apparently jumped on her back. She moved in every possible direction and tried to cut off her strangling collar with a claw, but the material reacted and never gave up. She felt a hot breath in her ear as someone started whispering to her.

"You know, I hesitated to deal with you when I heard you talk about attacking Iliasville. The only thing good that came from this village is Luka, and I'm not gonna lie, after seeing that damn place myself, I wouldn't have moved a finger if you had decided to raze it. But then…"

The rubber like collar tightened, and she could feel her body going dull as her energy was drained from multiple points. "You insulted the children of my race. Normally I would only have hurt you slightly, but those tight-ass dumbfucks put me in a bad, baaad mood." The voice turned sarcastic. "Oh sweet goddess! A shameless harlot of a succubus! You lie! You're not here to help us! Get away you filthy demon! There's no way someone as pure as Luka would do anything with you!"

The arachne was trashing around, choking as she tried to get rid of her impromptu rider. But even as she tried fighting back, she slowly resigned herself to her imminent death.

"Now, please, die faster. I also want to get those hoodlums for myself. It's getting hard to not drain any partner to death."

There was a sinister crunch as the arachne's throat finally collapsed.

* * *

Rami, Remi and Rumi came back to the town without fanfare. They initially planned to party at the tavern, but when they remembered that there were none, they instead decided to go eat fish at the market again. Rami was elated, but her friends were their usual morose selves.

"So, wasn't it a great adventure?"

"It was so tiring…"

"I want to go home!"

Rami frowned for a minute, and checked around her. It looked like nobody heard about their exploits in those dark caves. Unlike the hero, nobody came to thanks them and to lavishly gift them expensive items. Was it because they were monsters? Or was there another reason?

*munch, munch*

She looked at her friends, they didn't look more saddened than that by the lack of recognition. Of course, the problem was obvious! They only did one good thing, while the hero did a lot! She grabbed her friends by her shoulders and happily cried.

"This is only the beginning of our adventures! Soon, everyone will know the legend of the three imps!"

"Do we have to move again for that?"


	45. Story 45: Impartial road

"Bwaaahaaa! I feel sick!"

On Rami's suggestion, the trio of imps decided to reach the continent of Sentora by ship rather than by using a harpy feather. The leader had soon regretted her decision, as she discovered she was prone to being seasick while the inclement weather had decided to add its grain of salt.

The boat they took was rocking heavily in the middle of a storm. Rami was holding herself at the edge of the sip, and was all too regularly throwing up over the board. In the meantime, Remi was nowhere to be seen and Rumi was somehow sleeping in their designed cabin.

The crew itself was staying relatively calm, even as they kept moving back and forth on the boat to keep sure their mean of transport remained afloat. The lookouts remained particularly careful, as it was almost impossible to see past a few meters.

"Why did I choose to take the boaaaaaat! That was a terrible ideaaaaaa!"

Rami exposed her doubt about her own plan once more as rain kept washing the bridge and thunder boomed across the air, highlighting a large flying form that was gliding over the ship.

"Bwahahaha! This ship is going to be mine!"

"Nooooo!"

A manta girl was hovering slightly above the bridge of the ship. The crewmembers tried to warn each other, but the rain muffled all noises and the lack of sight made it hard to see the threat itself.

"Oh, what's this? Weak imps standing in my ways? I will crush you like the fleas you are!"

In a panic, Rami casted an unfocused salvo of thunderbolt. The manta girl avoided most of them and gloated.

"Pathetic. That tickled. Can't you do anything better?"

"Bwaaaaaah!"

The imp summoned a single, extremely powerful thunderbolt that knocked the manta girl into the mast, which proceeded to collapse on top of her. With difficulties, she managed to remove the large wooden pylon from her and groaned.

"Gnnh. Mark my words! I will retreat for now, but this isn't over! I shall have my vengeance next time you go at sea!"

She then flapped into the water before diving and disappearing from everyone's sight. The crew fully focused on fixing the ship, while several sailors kept their eyes on the sea to avoid hitting a reef. Feeling further unwell, Rami decided to go back to her cabin.

When she entered, she was hit by the heavy, moist atmosphere inside the room. She saw that Rumi was still asleep on the bed. The blond imp was impressed that her friend had apparently not been disturbed by the commotion in the slightest. She decided to sit at a small desk in a corner, when she suddenly heard a whimper. As she looked under it, she could see Remi folded into fetal position.

"W-What happened outside? That was s-so scary!"

"Heuurgh, you don't want to know. You don't have a magic spell to help me?"

The timid imp shook her head negatively. Fortunately for the trio, the storm calmed greatly and no further issue plagued their trip toward Port Natalia. Nobody in the crew had noticed the fight, and the manta girls had been considered either an hallucination or the result of perspective issues. The destruction of the mast had been attributed to the storm, and the imps were left alone, with everyone else none the wiser on what had happened.

And so the three imps landed on the southern part of Sentora under a shining sun, eager to find adventures and, most of all, to forget their terrible trip.

"All right? Why don't we go to the haunted mansion? This place was super scary last time! I'm sure there's still treasure to be found there!"

Remi shivered. "Why do you want to go to a scary place?"

Rumi sighed heavily. "Do we have to bother walking there?"

* * *

Rami, Remi and Rumi had already been walking for several hours when the sun was starting to set down. It was at this precise moment that their predicament really hit them: They were lost and in the middle of nowhere. No settlement was in sight, and the verdant plains had started to disappear to make some places for rocky hills and steep mountains. It had started when Rami's adventurous spirit pushed them to ditch the road in favor of exploring the wild lands, then they were pushed further away from their path when Remi ran away because she thought she heard a strange noise, end eventually ended up actually completely lost when they searched for Rumi, who was sleeping on a rock.

Of course, they had made no preparations for the trip, and had neither food nor equipment for camping outdoors. They only succeeded in starting a small campfire with a fireball spell, and were huddling together around it as they tried to appreciate its warmth.

"Hungry…" Rumi was laying pathetically on the ground.

"Where is the food? Why isn't there any food?" Remi was checking around her in a panic.

"That's because we didn't bring any with us…" Rami was scowling as she was comforting herself with the fire's warmth. "Luka always brought food with him…"

"It's such a bother…"

"Let's try sleeping… We'll see what we'll do tomorrow."

They went to sleep on empty stomachs. However, they wouldn't need to wait the next day before the issue solved itself.

* * *

In the middle of the night, Rami was awaken by Remi who was shaking her.

"There's a scary noise coming from there!"

The small, purple haired imp pointed in a direction as Rami rubbed her eyes open. The two imps slowly moved through the rocks, away from the still burning campfire. As they looked over a rock, they could see a Watermelon Girl, licking her lips as she was watching the asleep Rumi.

"Mwahahah! What a stupid imp. She will never get to learn to remain discreet."

"Noooo!"

"What?"

Panicking, Remi launched a powerful salvo of light arrows. While a few hit their intended target, most of them missed it by several meters, before disappearing harmlessly into the night. The fruit monster got tossed away and ran without asking for more, leaving behind a watermelon. The imps rushed to the fruit and ate it whole, flesh, skin and pips alike.

The next morning they were back onto the road with Rumi even more exhausted than usual, to the point that they had to carry her through the hills the group was currently crossing.

"Can't you even walk? I mean I'm tired and hungry too. Maybe it's because we had to sleep on rocks…"

"Or it's because you ate a whole watermelon in the middle of the night…"

"What? That's false! Who said that?"

Rumi sighed. "You still have pulp on your cheek…"

Rami almost accidentally dropped her friend on the spot to check and noticed that indeed, her cheek was quite sticky with a sugary substance. Still, she continued carrying her friend, red as a tomato.

Eventually, after several more hours spent perilously crossing the rocky hills rather than reaching the road a few hundred meters away, the three imps finally managed to reach San Ilia. It's only when they saw its inhabitants that they remembered that the city was the heart of the faith in Ilias, and that as such they were not exactly fond of monsters. As imps, they had less monstrous features than most creatures of darkness, but they would still need an appropriate plan if they wanted to enter the town.

The first plan they considered consisted in disguising themselves as bushes to enter the city. Their devious strategy was foiled by the lack of greenery in the city, as well as the presence of a high amount of human traffic that would question the nature of moving plants.

Their second plan involved bribing someone to get them into the city, but they realized soon that they would still need to visit it, and that they had brought only very little money that was needed for food anyway.

Finally, their solution came under the form of a merchant caravan that passed on the road. The unfocused guards didn't notice the small group of imps sneaking into the wagon, who hid themselves into one of the numerous pots transported. After several minutes of waiting, they could feel the pot they were in being moved away. They waited until the noise died off before peeking from their hiding spot, and noticed they were in a large warehouse.

"Woaaaaah! Look at all that!" Rami started salivating in front of all the food stacked around. She jumped from the pot, soon followed by her friends, and threw herself at a stack of apples. She started munching fruit after fruit, followed unenthusiastically by her two accomplices. In barely a few minutes, several stalks were scattered apart on the ground.

"How can you eat so much?" Remi shivered as she ate a single one.

"That's because she has to fill these two fun bags…" Rumi pointed at Rami's chest.

Rami shamefully put her hands over them while emitting a low, whining noise. "I didn't want them either! I can't fly because of them!"

The imps stopped eating as the awkward silence filled the room. Eventually, they decided it was time to go…

…And noticed another error with their new plan. Namely, that they now had to go through the whole city without being noticed. While Remi was panicking and Rumi was facing the situation with fatalism (or rather a total lack of concern), Rami was actually trying to figure out a plan to get out of the town. After a while, she took some oiled clothes used to protect merchandises from water, and gestured for her friends to come closer.

A few minutes later, a strange, stumbling figure was slowly walking out of the building. The imps were using their latest find as a coat, under which Remi and Rumi were carrying Rami, while the head imp had covered her head with a cut linen roll to attempt to hide her horns. The result from afar looked like a drunken pregnant peasant with throat issues.

"Slow down! Left!"

Rami was guiding her two partners in crime with much difficulty. Still, they managed to cross almost half of the city before inevitably ramming into a guard.

The man himself wasn't even destabilized by the shock, only surprised.

"Oh, sorry, I'm, huuuh, really tired, and, like, I want to go home."

The man checked the unsubtle disguise before offering a large smile. "Oh sure, just be careful out there, there are monsters that will want to eat someone like you if you know what I mean…"

Rami loudly gulped. The guard continued his patrol until he reached a younger recruit. The young man pointed at the "peasant", who was by now fully focused on trying to climb a set of stairs.

"Shouldn't we arrest them?"

The man laughed. "Why? As long as they don't harm anybody, it's fine." He then turned back toward the imps, who were having a lot of difficulties with the stairs. "Besides, I'm pretty sure it'll be funnier like that."

As if on cue, the totem trench pole collapsed, and the three imps bolted out of the city under the laughs of the guards and the surprised gazes of the city's inhabitants.

* * *

Rami, Remi and Rumi only stopped running when they were in sight of the decrepit mansion that Chrome had used for her past experiments. The place looked even more ruined than the last time they visited it, with the doors blasted open and all the windows broken.

"Woaaah, this place is still super scary… I bet there's treasure out there only waiting for us!"

Remi flinched and was starting to burrow herself under a tree. "I don't want to go in there!"

Rami ignored her and entered the mansion. Its insides were in the same state as its outsides, with a carpet torn and various furniture being scattered around left and right. Her courage vanished as soon as the floor under her creaked, even as her friends joined her.

"Helloooo… Is anybody there?"

Rami was trying to whisper loudly, adressing no one in particular, and Rumi was just dragging her feet behind her. As they slowly progressed through the main hall, they started to hear a small rumbling noise. When they turned, they noticed the house's entrance was trembling. They slowly backed away from the doorway, before running upstairs in a panic.

"Hiyaaaaaa!"

As they looked behind them, they could see Remi running in a different direction. Rami tried calling out to her, but the small purplish imp was in too great a panic to even notice her friends as they kept running deeper into the manor. They only stopped when they reached a large bedroom that, while clearly abandoned, looked better than the remainder of the manor: The carpet was still in pretty good condition, there were several paintings lining on the wall, and a finely crafted doll was lying on a bed that hadn't been completely destroyed by time yet.

Rami was trying to catch her breath while Rumi apathetically threw herself on the bed.

"We safely got away… Phew…" The blonde imp was still breathing heavily when she started smiling again. "Let's start looking for treasure!"

Rami checked most of the bedroom, but the only chests she found were empty. She also found a secret access leading to a side room, but the putrid smell that emerged from the place pushed her back. Eventually, she came back to check on Rumi, who was still lazing on the bed. She finally noticed the doll, and tried to appraise its value when its head turned toward the imp.

"Do you want to play, little sis?"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Rami let out another blood curling scream as she jumped to the ceiling. She then ran out of the room and closed the door, leaving behind Rumi who destroyed the door with her fist as she exited the room nonchalantly, and a surprised doll who started pouting.

The duo ran downstairs, occasionally stumbling as the floor sometimes gave up under their steps. They entered another room that looked like a small kitchen, and the two imps closed the door behind them. With a sigh of relief, they turned toward the room to see several ghosts surrounding Remi in a corner.

"Are you alright? Do you want anything to eat?"

"No! Stay away!"

"Are you lost?"

The three imps started screaming once more and tore the door of its hinges as they yet again ran to another room. This one looked like a small study room, with a table surrounded by a few chairs, and a desk in a corner with a closed chest in a corner.

Once they recovered, the imps slowly made their way to the chest, who opened naturally to reveal a mimic.

"Huuuh, what time it is?"

The three imps once again screamed while huddling together, surprising the mimic who tried raising her hands in an appeasement sign, but eventually lost patience as an headache started to form.

"Wait… Don't… Please… Calm down… STOP!"

Eventually, the three imps stopped screaming as the mimic sighed. "What are you three doing here? This house's been abandoned for months now, and you don't look like the kind of monsters who'd like living there…"

"We…" Rami started timidly before proudly putting her hands on her hips and bombing her comically oversized chest. "We came here to search for treasure!"

The mimic groaned. "More treasure hunters… What a surprise." She looked at the imps. "Look, every treasure here had been grabbed by a hero a few months ago when he removed that necromancer who was experimenting on creating zombies. Since then the mansion is mostly occupied by monsters like me who just want tranqulity."

Rami started shining as she exclaimed herself. "Oh yeah! We were with him at that time!"

"You… Were with him?" The mimic looked shocked at the imps. They definitively didn't look like hero companion material, but then again, she remembered said companions were pretty weird, so him travelling with those three wouldn't be surprising.

"Soooo, why did you came back to find treasures then? He took everything, and treasures don't just spawn from nowhere like that after you leave the place…"

Rami gradually deflated. She eventually ended pathetically hunched, just like Rumi. However, she failed to manage to balance herself because of her breasts and fell on the ground in a small "pof."

The mimic looked sympathetically at the small imps. They weren't even ill-intended, only incredibly naïve in their thought process.

"Look… How about we share a small meal and you continue on the road? If you want to visit a nice place, you should go to the Forest Spirit west of there. I don't know if you'll find treasures, but the place is nicer than a decrepit old mansion and you'll find friendly fairies to share company with…"

Rami looked at each other, and, after seeing their total lack of reaction, gladly accepted.

The imps left the mansion a small hour afterward, their stomachs nicely filled and thankful to their host. They followed the river down to the main road before going back upstream, ignorant all the while of the curious eyes that had taken an interest in them.

They were carrying with them the emotions of other people. She could smell the lust-filled rage of a bunch of humans. The haughty scorn of a sea monster… And so on. Their trip had attracted a lot of negative attention, which could make for a good show later on.

A sensation of familiarity ran through the watcher. Or was it déjà vu? Anyway, it was something new and entertaining worth watching over…


	46. Story 46: In which Eden is unhappy

Eden woke up from her slumber in her small but comfortable room located in the Pocket Castle. While the seraph didn't need to sleep as much as the average human or even as much as most monsters, she still needed to rest and to eat to recover her energy, and she also had come to appreciate those moments of tranquility when they were available. On that matter, she decided to go make a detour by the dining room. Since it was still early in the morning, she was unlikely to cross path with most monsters, as most of them were late sleepers because of their nightly activities.

Indeed, when she reached the place, there were only one or two sleepy monsters present, as well as several angels. However, the members of the latter group looked particularly sullen. Eden frowned, as her imagination already came to the most _logical_ conclusion.

"What is it? Did monsters cause you trouble again?"

"No… But the kitchen is out of cake and ice cream…"

Eden shrugged. "Ask them to do more for us. They have no reason to refuse!"

"They told that they didn't have the ingredients to do it, and even then, they said they had higher priorities for their use…"

The seraph started fuming. "What?! What does it even mean?! Don't they know sweets is what helps angels go through their working days in this hopeless world?"

The angels recoiled in front of the seraph's anger.

"They said they were more selective on their purchases and on the resources uses because of financial restrictions..." One of the angel soldier managed to word out the truth to their leader.

"Financial restrictions! What a poor excuse do they use to oppress us once again! I will personally see what is the real reason behind this farce!"

Eden left the place, ready to fight those that made her kin suffer needlessly.

* * *

Mephisto was in the conference room, accompanied by Radio, Promestein, and a pair of angel soldiers. The large table they were working on was covered with heaps of papers that somehow remained perfectly organized in the chaos of people moving around, who apparently kept randomly grabbing and placing away sheets with a method invisible to the untrained eye. With the hero on the road, someone had to manage the castle's accounting, and, while as the unofficial regent, Mephisto was unfortunate enough to end up responsible for the task, she also had managed to gather steadfast support from several angels who had worked in libraries. And they were indeed making her work much easier and faster.

Of course, just like anytime she was involved in a long, deep task that required focus, someone came to interrupt her train of thoughts for petty reasons. This time, it took the shape of a nude, indignant seraph glaring at the workers as she entered the room. Both angel soldiers bowed, while Promestein cared as much as the yoma and the machine, not even interrupting her current work.

"What's this?! I learned that you removed several of the more heavenly plates of the menu?! Is it an attempt to weaken our sweet-loving kin to exterminate us later?!"

Mephisto sighed, and took a second to cross her hands in front of her mouth. "This is not specifically aimed at you, or at angels in general. Everyone is affected. We're currently starting to take a few measures to cut the most excessively expensive leisure before we're forced into bankruptcy. The chests we filled during our adventures are emptying fast, as not everybody is always on the road to fight bandits and help the orphan and the widow. -Not that it is a possibility in the first place anyway, there are only so many people that need such an help anyway-. And unfortunately for every gourmet in the castle, upgrading equipment and more basic consumables are considered a higher priority than marriage cakes as it currently stands." She glanced at Eden. "So I apologize, but unless you intend to chip in, there will be fewer sweet items on the menu."

Eden's eyes narrowed. "We already helped the world a great deals by relentlessly fighting monsters. What more can we do for its inhabitants?"

"Actually, a lot of monsters and humans have taken jobs in the society." Upon noticing the seraph's inquisitive gaze, Mephisto realized her interlocutor might have never felt the need to learn more about human work. "They accomplish tasks in a given domain where they have pertinent skills in exchange for money."

"Really? What kind of jobs are we talking about? Because I will not stoop myself on the level of those harlots that prostitute themselves."

"Well, for example, Kitsu does some carpentry work at the Navy's shipyard."

The seraph sneered. "I'm not a lowly monster, who toils like a slave! I am on par with royalty!"

"Alrauna is involved in pharmaceutical research and regularly sells some of her own flowers for a whole range of application."

"Disgusting. Those monsters always offer themselves. The only difference here is the part of her body she sells."

"Laura is a regular performer at the Grandeur theater…"

"I do not live to entertain the population like a clown. A seraph shouldn't make a spectacle of herself."

_But it's mostly because you have the singing voice of a drunken banshee._

"…Even Morrigan sells her service as a bodyguard. An actual bodyguard I mean, and she does that on the principle that nobody would mess with one of the infamous Lilith Sisters, which is entirely right." Mephisto continued writing down several numbers. "And she's actually quite in high demand even with her prohibitive cost. Yes, I have difficulties believing it either, but it doesn't change my initial point: Our food charges alone keep several agricultural villages afloat at the expense of our own treasury, and we cannot rely on adventuring alone to pay for every one of our items."

Eden was left dumbfounded. As despicable as the yoma was, the latter had a point. When they fell on this world, her fellow angels had to work hard to get the resources required to build the village of Snow Heaven up, and they had to trade products with the outside world to get what they needed. Luckily for them, the concentration of magic on the Snow Continent allowed them to craft quality drugs that allowed their consumers to recover mana fast, and the demand had always been so strong they never really missed money since then. Besides, she always let Ranael deal with most of the issues.

"May I suggest travelling a little through the world to see how you could put your skills to good use in peace time? It is a pretty vast place, and my only suggestions are that you cover yourself first and then take a look at Grandeur. Between the theater and the smith's guild, you may find something up your alley."

Eden nodded and left the room, indifferent to the yoma's cold gaze. Once the door closed, Promestein got close to Mephisto.

"What have you unleashed on the world…"

"Even Spider Princess got a job as an expert seamstress. Do you really think a seraph like that will be that bad just because she's utterly devoted to Ilias?"

"She's even less versed into the ways of the world than me, lacks any sort of critical thinking, and has an ego the size of the inner sea. I wouldn't be surprised if she accidentally ends up helping the mafia, thinking she's following the orders of the Goddess."

"Oh come on, what's the worst that could happen?"

Everybody looked silently at Mephisto, who instantly regretted her outburst.

"I jinxed it didn't I?"

* * *

A few minutes later, Eden was standing in front of the city of Grandeur, dressed in a green toga that wasn't unlike her Angel World counterpart. None of the local inhabitants blinked twice in front of the arrival of the seraph, surprising her ever so slightly. Those people should have felt honored to be in her presence before starting to bow respectfully, and yet… She was treated just like another traveler.

While her ego was slightly wounded by the lack of acknowledgement, a more rational part of her came to appreciate being incognito and not asked on a regular basis for guidance. She took a moment to consider the options available in front of her. Going to look for a job at the theater was out of the question. Not wanting to expose herself to the public's judgmental eye was only a part of the problem. In reality, her artistic skills were completely non-existent compared to her sisters, something that only reminded her of how inferior and inadequate she had been compared to them.

Eventually, she made her way to the smith's guild. Maybe she could find something more fitting for her there…

When she entered the place, the man at the counter seemed slightly impressed, but mostly uncomfortable.

"Can I help you for anything?"

"I am looking for an occasion to share my endless knowledge in the domains of metal crafting!"

"Okay. Do you have references?"

"Only the Goddess Ilias herself."

"…Are you looking into an apprenticeship then?"

"I have no need to learn!"

The man awkwardly nodded, not knowing what to do with this.

"Oookay, so I will see if the current master is available."

The man left behind the counter left to enter a room from which metallic noises echoed. Eden could not hear what was discussed, but a minute later, a familiar face emerged, surprising the seraph.

"Victoria?!"

The valkyrie reflexively kneeled. She was out of her armor, and was instead wearing a thick leather apron over her leotard. Her long white hairs were attached in a braid, and she was covered in a mix of ashes and soot.

"What are you doing here? Don't we already have a smith back on the Snow Continent?"

"A warrior should learn to care for her own weapons. I only wanted to train myself in the craft, and was even given the opportunity to do it while earning additional funds."

"I see. I considered practicing myself to help those in need of equipment and to help fund the hero in his support of Ilias."

The war angel gasped in surprise. "I would advise you against it. This work is hard and ungrateful. Only the greatest of masters get any recognition, and this physical, repetitive labor is below the seraph who had led us during so long."

Eden pondered the words of her subordinate for a long moment. The valkyrie decided to delicately push the seraph in another direction.

"May I suggest consulting the scholars in San Ilia? Someone who lived with Ilias for so long could answer a lot of questions about the Goddess and help them better orient the faith after all."

"I see. Ilias has enlightened you so that you could guide me. In that case, I shall see them by myself to see what help can I bring."

Victoria sighed once Eden had left. She felt so bad for manipulating her leader like that… She came back and saw Izuna and Love & Lamb waiting for her. All three of them were wearing the same attire as her, and were carrying different tools.

"Please not a word."

Izuna leaned on the side. "Do you really think she would not have made for a good smith?"

"I do not doubt her skills. Only the idea that she would be fine with learning with and from monsters."

"In that case, we thank you for handling her. Anyway, we were just waiting for you to return to continue. Papi wants to be sure everyone follows her lessons."

The small, purplish dragonkin clapped in her hands twice. "Everyone! Gather around!"

They regrouped around her like students around a demonstration.

"So a metallic whip is first and foremost a chain made of assembled alternated links with a handle…"

* * *

Barely a few minutes later, Eden was standing in front of San Ilia thanks to the use of a harpy feather. She snarled, as she hated the idea to rely upon monsters, even if it was only a small, non-living part of one of them. She felt a kinship with the inhabitants of this city, as they were the ones the most aware of the dangers of monsters and didn't welcome them with open arms. If only the other fools would follow accordingly…It was no time for questionning or crusading.

She made her way through the place, while the guards not so discreetly checked her out. As a companion of the hero Luka, she was let in the castle without question. Once she reached the library's large bookshelves, a scholar instantly asked her if she needed anything.

"I should be the one asking you this question." Upon noticing her interlocutor's surprised expression, she added more. "I was told that you could use some help in making your work about the life of the goddess as precise and as praiseworthy as they should be."

The scholar enthusiastically responded. "Ah yes! You're one of the angels from the Snow Continent that joined the hero Luka! We always wanted to interview you, but we always thought you never had the time since the hero was always busy saving the world! Naturally, I wouldn't mind hearing out more from someone who lived under the goddess!"

Eden gave a small smile. She enjoyed being acknowledged, but, once again, she was known as someone who had supported the hero in his adventures, not as the first servant of Ilias as she should have been.

"What do you want to know about the Light of Lights?"

The man repositioned his glasses, vaguely reminding her of Promestein.

"Well first, I'd like to know more about the goddess herself. Are the representations of her true enough?"

"They're passable. Representing the goddess is fine, but they do not match her grace."

The scholar blinked twice upon hearing the stiff answer. Maybe she was just tense. "So let us get started on her history, then…"

(…)

"As I said, Ilias had only brought down her judgment to the king named Marius because he was repeatedly consorting with all sort of monsters! They would have brought ruins to the kingdom of Noah!"

The scholar desperately nodded. A few hours after the beginning of the interview, he was starting to get worried about his future survival and his career. It was clear that the seraph's knowledge of Ilias was only exceeded by her fanaticism to her word. The information he had gathered were interesting at first, but upon realizing the extreme bias the seraph had for anything the goddess had been doing through history, he was taking every one of the words he transcribed with a grain of salt.

"Do you really think she had done so for anything less than the good of humanity?"

And unfortunately, the smallest slip of the tongue, the smallest remark that put her into a questionable light started the seraph on an absolutely devastating rant, which, with time, threatened to go physical.

Fortunately, an escape presented itself, passing by innocently and not yet aware of the responsibility that would be pushed upon him. He turned toward the seraph again.

"You're right. And you are so passionate in your arguments! Maybe you should preach her word instead!"

Eden slightly calmed down. She considered the offer laid in front of her. "Maybe. But don't you have more questions about the one true goddess?"

"Oh, don't worry! You already answered most of them! I'll see to set a payment for your services!" He gestured toward the priest. "Maximilian! We have been blessed with an angel of Ilias who want to spread her word!"

"Really?"

Eden suddenly felt uncomfortable in front of the priest's shining eyes. There was a light that she recognized all too well, even after so many years of isolation…

"A-actually, I'm her most trusted advisor…"

"It's even better! Come with me and let us talk about the goddess…" He slowly brought the seraph out of the library.

As soon as the duo left, the scholar sighed. One of his fellows called out to him.

"Are you sure it's a good idea? We already have enough problems with that guy." He took a sarcastic tone and made a ridiculously outraged expression. "You shall follow the old commandments! You shall not have intercourse with monsters! Monsters are the source of all evil in this world! And then in reality, he… I mean did you see how he looked at her?"

The scholar shrugged. "Not my problem."

* * *

"Damn it, it doesn't match again…"

Mephisto grimaced as she looked at the final balance sheet. Promestein looked over her shoulder.

"And not by a little. There should be five hundred forty eight thousand, two hundred and seventy-six more gold coins in our treasury than what we have. That's enough to equip three parties in raibow gear."

The yoma slowly exhaled while wallowing on her chair. "This is ridiculous. I managed a university, the Monster Lord's castle for a time, and even after several decades, I never had an annual discrepancy reaching more than a few hundred golds. And we get that… abomination on one month." She brought a hand to her chin. "Did we miss something?"

Promestein shook her head negatively. "We all rechecked several times. We all came to the same result down to the last number."

"No erROr detectED. SuggesTIOn: DevIAtion of funds by a rEsidenT of thE PockEt CastLE."

Mephisto pinched the bridge of her nose, as as much as it displeased her to hear that, Radio was more than likely right. "Great. We only have about three hundred possible suspects to interrogate. And I'm sure the thief will tell us as soon as we ask if they're the one responsible."

"That might not be necessary." Promestein repositioned her glasses, making them eerily shine in the process. "Remind me. Who does have a direct access to the treasury?"

"Luka, me, Sonya, almost every queen class monster within a given limit, same for the human lords… Even then, that makes for quite a number of people and I don't feel like offending them. Besides, they're all conscious of what's at stake and certainly wouldn't steal from our coffers. I even remember that some of them did inject some funds to help us -with conditions, of course, but easily fulfillable ones-."

"Is that all?"

Mephisto's eyes narrowed as she started growing weary of the angel scientist's game, as well as of her growing smug smile. "Some people are given special authorizations when they manage important operations. That includes the four bandits since Papi import smiting material and Vanilla manages a shop as well as our food stocks, but they're overseen by Salamander who's honest to a fault. There's also Saki since she gives shows, Lazarus since he's part of the mafia and a keystone in our information network, but he ironically never took a single coin, and of course the one who manages our informant network itself…"

Mephisto stopped herself and slowly deflated, her shoulders slumping. Of course, it was so natural for her to invest in a good spy network that she never considered that the current responsible could do anything else with the funds allocated to her operations… Until she remembered what she was also known for. "Amiraaaaaa..."

"And who's Amira working with?"

The yoma turned pathetically toward Promestein. It reminded her of the too frequent times where she castigated a student in public by forcing them to make obvious connections to answer an easy question. She definitively deserved that for not taking care of the issue earlier. "Evaaaaa."

"So where's the money?"

"All burned into a harebrained scheeeeeeeme. Agaaaaaain." Mephisto cleared her throat noisily as she reassumed a more dignified posture. "Or into a vanity project, not that it matters anyway. I wish they were as responsible as the Four Bandits, but instead, they're pretty much forcing everyone to work more to compensate." She shivered. "And we unwillingly supported them. We pushed everyone to work to help keep the castle afloat. This last information better not escape the room or we're toast. And now… How can we deal with that sham of a duo without compromising ourselves?"

She pulled her wand and perambulated through the room, fiddling with it. After a moment, she stopped and looked at the quartet that had just helped her.

"I have an idea."

The angels hid themselves in front of the devious light present in the yoma's eyes.


	47. Story 47: For the sake of money

"This is the tail of the succubus queen herself! Fans would be ready to pay at least fifty thousand gold coins for this piece!"

In the accessory shop of Grand Noah, an elf was smiling to the strange reverse lamia in front of her. Inwardly, however, she wanted to scream her lungs out while banging her head repeatedly on the counter until she reached into blissful unconsciousness. Still, she still managed to hold her cool and answered with a smile, even as the furniture in front of her had been fully covered by a long, leathery appendage that looked like a smooth tentacle with a mouth that was leaking at its extremity.

"I apologize, but even if this is the real deal, this item has little to no value here: Nobody will use it for synthesis as it is too advanced, nobody will consider coming here to purchase it, and with all the monsters already around, nobody will consider buying it for _that_ use. At least not at that price."

"Tch!" The strange, reverse lamia emitted a whistling noise after clicking her tongue. "You do not realize that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!"

"I am terribly sorry, but as I said, I certainly will not consider buying it at that price."

Amira fell silent for a moment as she pondered the situation. "Fourty thousand gold then?"

"The standard for a material of this level is two hundred and fifty gold. I'm ready to raise it to three hundred if it makes you leave faster."

The reverse lamia emitted several indignant noises before being able to articulate a sentence again. "That's all?! Do you have any ideas of the sacrifice I had to make to get my hands on it?"

"I'm pretty sure _you_ didn't have to sacrifice anything to get your hands on that."

"You're so heartless! The funds are to go to the dead family of the young man who courageously offered himself to the succubus queen so that I could cut it with Excalibur! He would have turned thirty if he hadn't tragically accepted to do it!"

The elf looked at the armless lamia. "I have so many questions about what you said you did… But I will just call it nonsensically entertaining."

"Tch." Amira clicked her tongue again, making the elf tick. "Thirty thousand, that's my last offer."

"And I stick to three hundred. Take it or leave."

"Ooh, my…"

A black haired, red eyed succubus without a tail and horns entered the shop. Her outfit looked more noble than sexy, being an elaborate black and red dress rather than the lingerie her kin always favored.

"Oooh, is it my tail? I was looking for it!" Her voice sounded like the one of a debutante wanting to wow some company. In the current circumstances, however, it only made the scam look even more obvious than it already was.

"Yes! And I'm the one who found it! I will give it to you for Sixty thousand gold!"

The succubus brought both of her hands to her face with an exaggeratedly shocked expression. "Oh, really, oh thank you so much! Maybe I will make you feel nice as well as a reward!"

"Well, good!" Amira then turned toward the merchant and shook her head slowly, disapprovingly. "You just lost the occasion of the year."

The elven merchant shook her head as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "You do realize that the succubus queen is a regular at the colosseum, right?"

The pseudo queen sauntered toward the counter. "Yes indeed, I sight regularly in the colosseum! How do you know?"

The elf sighed. "Because I have an agreement with the real one since I provide for the place, and the last person who pretended to be her in front of me got eaten alive by that in front of everyone the following day." She pointed at the tail.

Eva and Amira looked at each other before scrambling away in a hurry, accidentally leaving their negotiation product behind.

"We've never been here!"

Once she was sure the duo of scammers wouldn't come back, she placed the tail into a fitting container, and groaned as she realized the fluids had left a stain on her counter. The item's sales would just barely cover it. If she managed to sell it, that is.

Well, if anything, she could still hope to get rid of the monstrous limb by presenting it as colosseum memorabilia.

* * *

A few minutes later, Amira and Eva were catching their breath into one of the darker streets of Grand Noah.

"I told you we were aiming too high! If we had stuck to ten or twenty thousand gold, it might have worked just fine!" Eva angrily shook her fist at Amira.

"Tch!" She only caught on because of your poor acting! I almost had her under my thumb!"

The succubus laughed drily. "Who told me to act like a noblewoman? With that dress?" She shook the extremity of her cloth.

"It is only because you refuse to wear a magical bustier! Nobody would take you for a queen if you showed up with your travelling attire! It's so worned out it's a miracle it didn't fall apart yet."

"Maybe, but it's out of question that I show myself in that ridiculous lingerie set!"

"Then stop trying to blame me! You're the one who wasted our money on that fancy restaurant!"

"You took five extra servings of dessert! You're in no position to complain about our situation!"

"I wouldn't have done so if I knew by then that you had lost most of our money by betting on the colosseum!"

"I was just on a cold streak! It can happen! You should know that after your latest failure at the casino of Grandeur! I mean the mafia even seized your manor there!"

Both cronies looked at each other angrily for a minute before calming down.

"How much do we still have on us for now?"

"Around seven hundred coins. Barely enough for one full course at the restaurant."

Amira appraised the current clothing of Eva.

"You know, I'm pretty sure that dress is worth a few thousand gold coins."

Eva's eyes narrowed. "Didn't you criticize my clothes?"

Amira's voice became a whistling murmur. "Think of all the meals we could have…"

Eva nodded distractedly, her mouth already drooling. "Foooood… You're right. Let's sell it."

They exited the street distracted, and nearly collided with Minamo. The red kitsune kunoichi instantly recovered, taking the duo by surprise.

"Ah, there you are. I was looking for you. Mephisto told me she had a special mission just in your domain." She handed down a letter to Eva, who took it, still slightly stupefied.

"Tch! Always demanded, never able to rest! Did she give you any details?"

Minamo shrugged. "It's something about a treasure near the Natalia Coast if I understood correctly. I would have gone there myself, but she told me you were the most fitting for this mission, and besides, I already must support Tsubaki in a socialite event organized this evening." She pointed at Eva. "By the way, can I get the dress you're currently wearing? Since you'll be on the road, you won't need it, and it appears we're short in high class clothes back at the Pocket Castle."

"Sure…" Eva took off the dress and handed it, afraid of the kitsune's reaction should the latter learn of their initial plan for it.

"Thank you." She bowed. "I wish you luck in your endeavor."

Minamo took off and disappeared into the blink of an eye.

The duo awkwardly looked at each other.

"So do we use a harpy feather or do we go there on foot?"

Amira clicked her tongue. "On foot, we can still try to do business in Finoa and in Port Marle before finally taking a final break in Port Natalia. Then we'll go look for that treasure."

Eva grimaced. "You'll be alone fort Port Marle. I'm actively searched by the Marine there. They didn't like it when I blew up their potatoes stockpile."

"Tch. A reliable one you are."

"I was trying to make them a solid. They're the ones who reacted negatively."

* * *

Minamo turned into one of the city's darker alleyway, far from the more frequented streets. She saw a human sized pile of hair wriggling, informing her that Tsubaki had been waiting impatiently.

"You got it?"

The kitsune showed the kejourou the large dress. "Those idiots wanted to sell it for a few thousand gold coins…"

Under her hair, Tsubaki went wide eyed. "It's a perfect replica of one of the favorite Monster Lord's dress. It's worth exactly seventy two thousand gold."

"Go tell them that if you want, but I think we have something more productive to do than chasing those two snake oil salesmonster." She handed down the dress to her partner, who changed into a corner in the blink of an eye. "So what are tonight's deals?"

Tsubaki came out, the dress perfectly fit around her. With her hair arranged into a bun held by a pin, she looked like a high class geisha from Yamatai. Which she actually was, all things considered.

"Five thousand gold for information on the latest suitor for the Grand Noah queen, two thousand gold for information on the development of a mermaid pub in this city, and whatever we can get for our additional services."

Minamo licked her lips. "I'll make sure we get a few extra thousand gold coins that way."

* * *

Barely a few hours later, Amira and Eva had the small village of Finoa in sight.

"Right, so…" Eva scratched her back awkwardly. "We left the tail in Grand Noah."

Amira cursed loudly. "Then how are we supposed to earn money for our travel?!"

The succubus checked her pockets. "We don't need to, we still have enough to pay us a few good meals. Now where is it…"

Amira haughtily turned away. "If you can't keep track of our hard earned money, any problem that happens with it is your own responsibility!"

Eva snarled at the reverse lamia as she nervously checked her outfit before she suddenly stopped. "Wait… You didn't do anything stupid with it, did you?"

Amira didn't answer, but Eva could see a smudge on her partner's face. She rubbed it with a finger and licked it.

"Hey! What is wrong with you?"

"Sukiyaki… How did you even manage to snatch the money and spend it? I always had my eyes on you!"

"A magician never reveals its secrets."

Eva sighed. "Great. What do we have to sell them then?"

"Your body."

Eva glared at Amira. "No. But I wouldn't mind squeezing snake oil out of you if you keep on that way." The succubus put a backpack on the ground and ruffled inside.

"An iron sword used by the Great Hero Luka?"

"It will only have value when he's dead."

"A jewel made of chaos?"

"Knowledge about their use in crafting has become too widespread. We will have the same issue than with the tail."

"A Heaven Stone that comes from that weird place?"

Eva showed an orb that was barely filling her palm, and was sparkling like a rainbow. She didn't even know what it could be useful for, but she had grabbed it from the castle's chest with several other items nonetheless.

"Mmmh, if we sell it as a gift from Ilias… I think we can get four or five thousand for this one."

"If we do act like an auction, I'm sure we can do better…" Eva was already drooling as she imagined money flowing.

"Tch! This is not San Ilia! People won't care as much."

Eva just shrugged. "We'll see how it goes. I'll try to sell it, then you come and play the unfortunate victim."

Amira emitted an indignant whistling noise, but Eva just ignored her and entered the village, not sparing a glance to a large statue present on the central plaza on her way in. When she entered the shop, the shopkeeper, a strong man in his forties was happily chatting with a purple haired villager. Eva carefully looked at said peasant, and while she looked familiar, she was definitively not a succubus.

The shopkeeper pulled her out of her inspection mission. "May I help you?"

Eva proudly pulled the orb from her bag and showed it as it sparkled and projected light around. "This is a gift of the Goddess Ilias. Unfortunately, as a mere succubus, I cannot use it."

The shopkeeper put on glasses and examined the item. "I have no idea what it can do. You should bring it to our priest instead."

"But aren't you interested in acquiring it? I can sell it to you for two thousand coins, but I'm sure it's worth way more…"

The merchant glanced at Eva over his glasses. "Can you tell me where you got it? Because I certainly will not purchase an unidentified magic item from an unknown source. It is a recipe for a disaster."

"But it comes from Mt Amos! It is likely a gift from the Goddess of Light! How bad can it be!"

"Really bad, and allow me to doubt your claim."

At that precise moment, Amira entered the shop while complaining. "I need help! I've been cursed into this form!"

The purple haired villager smiled at the newcomer. "Oh, greetings Amira, how have you been doing since we've last seen each other?"

The reverse lamia instantly froze. "Do I know you?"

The villager sighed. "First, it's me, Lara, I joined Luka here several months ago in case you couldn't remember. We travelled together a bit in Yamatai and in Lady's Village, and we even fought monsters in the Scenic Mountains. I decided that, after so many adventures, I wanted to take a small break and share my stories with my fellow Finoans and get the latest news around. And secondly…"

She walked outside and pointed at the gold statue that Amira had initially ignored. It was a house-sized representation of the reverse lamia. It was only at that precise moment that the monster really noticed it.

"Pyhar came and paid the mayor an impressive amount of money if the village displayed it here."

"Oh, so that was where that one ended…"

Eva glared at Amira. "It looks like you're quite the celebrity."

"Tch!" The reverse lamia clicked her tongue. She then turned toward the merchant. "Anyway, I came here to collect royalties from the traffic it brought you."

Lara sighed. "Amira… This statue didn't bring anything. The only reason it's still there is because your _partner_ brought the threat of your network of monsters. I'll make sure someone back at the castle gets informed about the statue, so if you would both please kindly leave this place before you start a conflict, I'd be extremely grateful."

Under the judging gaze of the villagers, Amira and Eva silently and awkwardly shuffled away.

* * *

In the late hours of the afternoon, they managed to get on a boat to lead them to Port Marle. Their trip was extremely uncomfortable, as the duo had decided to hide to avoid the seahorse girls guarding the boat. Eva was still afraid that she was searched for her past history with the town's stock of potatoes.

Once they landed in the harbor, Amira and Eva snuck around, disguised as a reverse lamiataur whose lower body was covered with empty sacks. This clever disguise worked for the whole length of a minute, when Eva couldn't help herself and stole a few fishes from a crate. The additional limb had been noticed by one of the marine, who tried to call out the creature who fell apart in a panic. The marine had just shrugged before moving on, deciding that if those people couldn't be bothered to just ask, they didn't deserve to be told where they could get more.

When they reached Port Natalia, the sun was already setting down. As they had no money, they were forced to haggle with the owner of the inn. After much time, the owner relented and accepted the orb offered by the duo to pay for their room.

Once they were down setting inside the room, Eva finally opened the letter and read it aloud.

"_Eva, Amira._

_We managed to gather information about a treasure__ that belonged to the legendary queen Roza__, and which could be hidden buried somewhere on the Natalia coast. Because of her resurrection, her memory is hazy and she only remembers the emergency instructions to find it. As the two best treasure hunters we have, I hope you can make sense of the present indications._

_One step twenty times from the lone life to the mother._

_When you embrace her turn toward the way to Heaven._

_Seven steps of a crab where the tragedy happened before one final step back._

_I wish you luck. We could definitively use any funds you get there._

_Mephisto."_

The duo remained silent for a moment, thinking about what they just read.

"Mmmh, it looks our skills have been recognized."

Eva grimaced. "Heurgh, it sounds so boring, and once we find the treasure we'll have to dig it out…"

"Maybe… But if the legendary treasure of Selene the hero got is any indication, this could brings us a fortune. We'll just have to give them ten percent- no wait five percent and keep the rest to ourselves. We'll finally be able to build our palaces and be treated as lords!"

Eva nodded distractedly as she envisioned herself gorging on a buffet with servants tending to her, while that potato mayor remained stuck with her pathetic farms.

"Yeah, you're right…"

* * *

In the next room, a trio of thugs had been carefully listening to the conversation between both monsters. One of them nodded as he mentally took note of what the monsters were not so closely discussing.

"Mmmh. It looks like we found ourselves another opportunity boys."

The men had been frustrated by their latest attempt to get some cold cash. They had attempted to follow a bunch of imps to the infamous cave of treasures after hearing rumors of monsters there, hoping that they would get scraps after both groups fought each other. The men waited at the entrance to get in once the monsters were weakened by their fight, but when they entered to finish who was left alive, they realized that, even as much wounded as they were, those monsters were foes too formidable for them. They then fled in a panic to where they came from, and didn't even notice the presence of another explorer entering on their way out. Disheartened, they came back to the city empty handed.

Fortunately, they managed to come back to the harbor just on time to see the imps climb on a boat. The three men took the next one, and decided that they would wreck those three little idiots the next time they met them. However, they realized they had no idea where they went once they landed, and found themselves at a loss for a goal. That is, until those two idiots next door talked about a treasure…

"Damn right! They find the treasure and then we punch them out!"

"And then, we find back those imps and kill them too…"


	48. Story 48: Beach Party

The next morning, Amira and Eva only made limited provisions before leaving the town in a hurry as the sun was just showing up. A part of it had to do with the fact that the duo had decided to party at the Mermaid pub and left an impressive unsolved tab. Ironically, they hadn't drunk that much, but both monsters had offered a lot of drinks for different reasons: Eva had wanted to get several men drunk to bed them, and got each of her kill stolen by a mermaid, while Amira had started counting a tale and promised regular drinks to those that listened to her, attracting several moochers in the process.

A few hours later, they had reached the Natalia coastline, without any mermaid following them to make them pay for what they had done. Eva sighed as she pulled Mephisto's letter. Before she could do anything, Amira tapped into her, and the duo moved away from a small herb garden that was tended to by a small crab girl and two nuns from the church. They moved around the beach, careful to not get noticed by the gardeners. Once they were sure they were far enough, Eva read silently the letter again.

"Hueeurgh… We have to follow those instructions and then we'll have a chest to dig out and we don't even have a shovel. Why do we even bother with this?"

Amira came close to Eva, and sensually whispered in her ear. "Mmmmoneyyyyyy…"

The succubus instantly perked up and started walking forward, her backpack loaded. "What are you doing there, twiddling your thumbs? Let's not lose time!"

The two monsters started looking around for anything that could match the instructions, unwary of the three men that were looking at them from the treeline.

* * *

"Yay!"

Rami, Remi and Rumi were happily searching treasures in the forest of spirits with fairies. Or, more accurately, Rami was enthusiastically running around "guided" by the fairies, while Rumi was lazily dragging her feet and Remi mostly kept herself hidden behind trees.

"Oh, oh! I think there are treasures there!" A fairy pointed down to the ground. Rami started digging madly, before Rumi arrived and slammed her foot violently, creating a shockwave that propelled a small pillar of a mix of dirt, grass and insects upward. Rami backed up, surprised and half covered in dirt.

"That was rude, Rumi!"

"There's nothing here. Again."

"Dang!" One fairy shouted loudly before resting her head on her hand midflight, pondering what to do next. "Oh, oh, I know, where the Wind Spirit resided! There's bound to be treasures there!"

"Yay!" The whole party happily ran under the careful gazes of the elves patrolling through the forest. After a few minutes, they reached the deepest point of the forest, the place where Sylph used to reside. However, the Wind Spirit was currently missing, more likely than not busy accompanying the hero on his adventure.

"Woaaah, there's a strong wind here!" Rami was enraptured by the magic that seemed to seep from the place.

A fairy twirled around left and right, gauging the ground. She suddenly stopped and pointed down at the ground like an excited child.

"There! There! It's there!"

Rami instantly stopped and invited Rumi to make the same move. The white haired imp sighed and stomped her heel once again. However, there was no dirt or grass kicked up. Instead, the ground reacted to the assault, and the three imps were catapulted out of the forest, toward the sea.

"Gotcha!"

All the fairies laughed good heartedly, rolling on the floor in a mocking cacophony while an angry elf showed up.

"This is not funny! They can get hurt when they fall! Waaaagh!"

The elf proceeded to stumble into a pitfall, making the fairies laugh louder and louder. One of them calmed and sniffed the air.

"Wait. Is it me or the wind is becoming all sweet and wiggly?"

Gradually, every fairy collapsed, their mind falling into an ecstatic daze.

A lone figure was looking above from the tree line, happy with her handiwork. Those fairies were so many little pesky annoyances, maybe she should remove a few of them from existence…

They were right though. It was actually pretty funny. But now, she had to run to where the imps had landed to check on them. The trio had somehow grabbed her attention and weren't letting go of it right now.

* * *

"Your arrival is a sign! We must free ourselves from the oppression of monsters once and for all now!"

Eden felt more awkward than really touched by the praise from the priest. While the man, Maximilian, had a welcome passion, she also had recognized a level of zealotry that even herself felt was repulsive deep down.

"I came here first and foremost to share her fair word. Shouldn't we share it with the flock?"

"Aaah, but gracious lord, you will find in our company all the support you need in your righteous mission to remove monsters from this holy region! The people in this city know her word well enough, but those are the ones out of these walls that need to hear and accept it!"

Eden frowned. Was the infestation really that bad? She had heard about the manor infested by zombies created by a necromancer, but the latter had been cleared in the past by the actions of the hero Luka. There also was the Forest of Spirits, but monsters there wisely kept to themselves. The only real problem was Port Natalia, which was filled with mermaids, with whom humans didn't hesitate to consort.

"…Very well. By where shall we start?!"

"Oh, the very first place where humans are opressed by monsters is not far from here… Come to me my brothers!"

Several men came out with various weapons made of mythril or crystal. They all shared that small light that was a mix of passion and insanity that Eden feared.

"Do we really need so much protection in this area? I remembered that the hero made it pretty safe for travel after all."

"Where we're going, we will need them indeed. We're going to a place where we've been oppressed for far too long. Far too long indeed…"

Eden readied her spear. If it was that serious, then indeed her help was needed. Furthermore, maybe that action would yield a monetary reward that could help fill her stomach with a sweet or two…

She solemnly declared. "Very well. Consider my spear your."

"Excellent! With your might, nobody shall stand a chance against us!"

The small mob left the city by the southern entrance, and soon left even the road to continue further south.

* * *

Eva was half wading, half swimming through water. She had difficulties believing she was at the place where the chest was buried. She turned toward Amira and shouted.

"Are you sure this is where our fortune is lying?"

The lamia clicked her tongue. "Look, it's the only spot that matches the given instructions. It is not my fault if the spot is under water because of the high tide!"

Eva groaned. "I guess we'll just have to wait then. Let's hope that nobody else show up."

"Indeed, we're lucky that this beach is calm right now. Should anyone hear of what we're doing, this place would be crawling with people trying to get our booty... What's that?"

Eva turned to see three small forms in the sky emitting a whistling noise on their way toward the beach.

"No! You jinxed it!" She accusingly looked at the lamia who kept her composure. The latter clicked her tongue, further unnerving Eva.

"Don't worry, It doesn't look like they're conscious of what's really happening. Look at them."

The three imps ended crashing into the water further alongside the beach, at a place where they couldn't get to see the duo.

"See? No problem!"

"You mean new problem!"

Eva pointed at the natural ramp that led from the plains to the beach. Several humans clad into clergymen robes were coming down on the beach, weapons brandished.

"Oh no! They're coming for us! Hide!"

* * *

Eden looked at the calm beach presenting itself in front of her. She could see signs of monster's activity here and there, but they were only tending to themselves and not hurting anyone. Besides, most of them scurried away as the group of clergymen were moving toward them. Eden turned to see that the men were making their way toward a small garden, which was tended to by a duo of nuns and a young looking crab girl.

One of the nun sighed upon seeing the mob moving toward them. The crab girl instantly hid behind the other one, who gave the small monster a reassuring smile.

"Greetings, what do you need help with today?" Her tone was tired, the one used by someone who dealt with this situation on an all-too regular basis, and yet had the discipline to muster politeness anyway.

Maximilian accusingly pointed his sword at the garden.

"You know why we're here! We know you're involved into the monster's devious plans! As the truly faithful arm of the goddess, we cannot accept this!"

She frowned. Wasn't that garden one of the few actually helpful project put into action by one of the resident of the Pocket Castle? As if on cue, one of the nun answered.

"The healing herbs produced here are needed at the hospital in San Ilia to heal the wounded there, and is a gift from the mermaid's representative to atone for her attack. Furthermore, it is the only reason we're not in a penury right now." The nun's gaze became more severe. "It is also sanctioned by his holiness, the king himself, and most of the priests support it as well. I suggest you take your issue with him if you do not appreciate it."

"Nonsense! He doesn't understand what the goddess is about! He is too passive! He won't solve anything! We are the change that is needed for this world to restore orders and put it into its rightful rails!"

The man riled up his mob as Eden felt even more confused by what she was seeing. She couldn't tell what made her the most uncomfortable: The nuns protecting a monster, the men wanting to destroy an helpful garden rather than claiming its use for the goddess (which was apparently already the case), or the fact that two groups, both clear worshippers of the goddess, were ready to face each other?

* * *

"Owi." Rami rubbed her head as she slowly got up, confused. Her surroundings had switched from a forest to a beach, and there no longer was a sign of all the fairies that were playing with them. She searched for her friends, and could see Remi buried headfirst into a small dune, while Rumi was floating like a plank on the water.

The white haired imp sighed. "Can we go home now? I just want to get back to lazying in the Pocket Castle…"

Rami ignored her and pulled Remi out of her trouble. The purple haired imp shivered. "That was scary! Those fairies are really wicked!"

The blond imp examined her surroundings. She recognized the southern coast of Natalia, and proudly put her hands on her hips.

"I know where we are, and this is a fine new opportunity for adventures! Let's search for treasures!" She heard something that sounded like a muffled, slithering string of swears. "What was that?"

"I don't know, but what is that?"

Remi had noticed the group of men surrounding the small garden. She also noticed the seraph that was accompanying them.

"Is it that sraph Aden? Let's see what she wants!"

Before they could move, a tide higher than the other surprised the trio who managed to evade it by running away. When the tide receded, it revealed a huge manta girl.

"Mwahahaha! I told you I would get my revenge!"

Rami shouted in a panic "Noooo! Not again!"

"I will get you for hurting me that one time!"

The sea monster started rising higher and higher above the beach, readying herself to strike at the imps.

* * *

As the men prepared to lay waste to the garden, Eden stepped forward and turned toward the mob.

"Wait! You don't have to destroy this place! It is already put in service of the goddess!"

Maximilian blinked twice, surprised. "But, my lord, I'm only doing it for you!"

"For me? I am only merely a messenger of Ilias! You should do it for her!"

Maximilian completely lost his temper as his friends kept shouting at the nuns guarding the small garden.

"But she's not there, and you, you're an avatar of her grace, and I will gladly give my body for you, no matter your demands!" He moved closer to the seraph, almost touching her.

Eden slightly pushed back the man and growled. "I am certainly not interested in doing that with you if this is what you think! You had chosen to consecrate yourself soul and boy to the goddess, start acting as one of her messenger should!"

Maximilian completely lost his temper as his friends kept shouting at the nuns desperately protecting the small garden.

"What the fuck is wrong with you all?! I found my call after that cheap whore of a succubus rejected me, then I endured countless trial for that goddess, never getting any recognition for anything I did, and when you shameless excuse of an angel come, I bend myself in four for you and I don't even get the reward I should!"

Eden went wide eyed. This was a joke. A cruel, idiotic joke that not even the spawns of the Dark Goddess would enjoy. That man's faith in Ilias was only a crystallization of his self-entitlement after a monster rejected his company. It was so cliché, so idiotic and so out of phase compared to what the goddess really was about that she took it as a personal insult to her and her goddess.

The seraph's rage swiftly struck in the form of a thunderbolt. However, for an unknown reason, the bolt didn't hit her target but instead hit a large flying monster. The behemoth glided in the air for a few seconds, then fell at great speed to disappear behind one of the small peninsulas that dotted the area, making a ruckus in the process.

Everybody remained silent for a moment, dumbfounded by the unfortunate monster. Maximilian eventually rose his sword again.

"This is a sign of the Goddess! All monsters and those who supported them must be purged!"

The men rushed at the garden and proceeded to stomp it in spite of the monster and the nun's protests. Eden was too dumbfounded by what actually happened to react to anything.

"Out of the way, filth!" One of the nun stepped between the group and the garden. Maximilian grabbed her by the wrist and threw her against the back wall of the garden.

Eden instantly reacted upon hearing a sinister cracking noise. In the blink of an eye, she healed the wound of the fallen nun, before angrily turning toward the men stomping all too happily on a work done for a common good.

Maximilian kept stomping when he was suddenly grabbed by the hem of his priest's robe. He wetted himself as he was faced with the burning eyes of the seraph, who was trembling with a barely contained rage.

"THOU! SHALL! NOT! HARM! A! FELLOW! MESSENGER!" Her voice boomed through the whole beach. She effortlessly threw the man across the area, and he landed face first into a tide. The men turned back to see what just happened. While several fled, too many made the mistake of attacking the seraph. She effortlessly blocked their attacks with her spear, which appeared to dance in her fingers. She dodged every incoming attack in a perfectly flowing dance, while each of her strike incapacitated someone, only held back by her respect for the creations of Ilias in spite of her bloodlust.

The fleeing group noticed the trio of imps that were timidly stepping toward them. One of the men pointed his sword.

"Here comes an occasion to redeem ourselves! Attack!"

"Nooooo!"

In a panic, Rami threw a strong but localized ice storm, freezing the men in place as they were waddling through water.

"Waaaah!" The three imps ran away, and hid themselves amongst the rocks once again.

* * *

"Wow, they're really getting at it." Eva was looking wide eyed at the fight that had broken out.

Amira clicked her tongue. "Well, since they're too busy, we can as well resume our treasure hunting. That sweet gold will soon be our!"

Eva groaned. "The tide is still high. We need to wait for the sea to recede before going treasure hunting."

"Tch! You're right! What misfortune has befallen us!"

"Stop jinxing it! Or else something even worse will happen to us!"

Eva was right. In that kind of situation, the sun would find itself suddenly conveniently blocked by an opponent preparing a diving attack, attracting the attention of the heroes toward his assailant's plan and making sure he could dodge at the last second.

This time, however, only looking at the sky would have allowed the duo to notice the large form that was falling at a relative speed toward them.

They only noticed the sea behemoth when she crashed into them, knocking them both unconscious.

* * *

"Damn, this is really an enjoyable show!"

The three thugs were watching the beach from afar. They had seen the duo starting to dig, the imps fall on the beach, and now that all out brawl starting. They were salivating as they were already seeing themselves cleaninghumans and monsters alike from their riches

"Man, look at how loaded those priests are! Mythril and Crystal weapons, jewelry, fine clothes… We'll just have to bend and grab everything to get rich!"

"Yeaheaheah, you're right." The leader was looking at the clergymen and snorted. "Look at those men, they have spent thousands into their weapons, and don't know how to use them… It's a shaaame…"

"I agree." A female voice behind them answered him. "They are so sluggish and clumsy, it's not even funny to see. It's clear they're waving around their huge sword to compensate for a little something."

All three men turned to see a blue haired, half naked succubus wearing white gloves and stockings, sitting behind them cross legged, her head resting on her hands with a smile covering her face. "Hello there!"

"AAAh No! It's a hell bitch! Run!"

The three men started running while Morrigan nonchalantly got up, pouting. She had hoped for a small fight, but it seemed like those men had no spirit at all and prefered fleeing instead.

As he was running, the leader was looking for something, anything that could help him get out of his trouble. He noticed a hooded silhouette ending with a spade tipped tail leaning on a tree. Likely one of those succubus nun. Too bad for her...

She didn't make a single noise as he grabbed her and put an iron dagger under her throat while turning back toward Morrigan in one smooth motion, his partners in crime standing behind the man and his hostage."

"One move and your fellow whore get it! I won't hesitate!"

Morrigan raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "Bwuh? Sis? What are you doing here?"

A sensuous voice answered. "Well, I'll tell you later, first…"

The succubus sent her heel straight into the man's crotch, propelling him up a few meteres before he fell on the ground, bent over in pain.

"…This is more Astaroth's kind of thing, but sometimes getting physical can help stay sharp."

The two succubi slowly looked at the two other thugs, who were recoiling terrified, their hands raised.

"No, no…"

The next second, both remaining men were incapacitated by their opponent's skills. Lilith removed her cowl, freeing her long purple hair. She looked at her now torn outfit and whistled disapprovingly while shaking her head. "Already damaged… This outfit is so impractical, I don't understand why a succubus would wear it, even as a disguise…"

"I don't get it either…" Morrigan effortlessly lifted one man. "Want to bring the snacks for the spectacle?"

"Sure, let me just get this man and this one…" She turned to look down at the man she had struck. His mouth was getting filled with a mix of blood and foam, and the crotch area of his pants was turning red.

"Oww. I may have struck him too hard."

Morrigan shrugged. "Meh, we still have one each… Astaroth isn't there?"

"She's busy at the castle. Let's get watch the show before it's over."

* * *

The curb stomp battle had only lasted barely a few minutes. Eden was still breathing heavily as her anger was slowly subsiding. She looked amongst the unconscious men, and saw one of the nun tending to the wounded, crying crab girl. She unsummoned back her spear and kneeled in front of the scared duo.

"Let me help you. It will hurt slightly." Even to her own ears, her voice sounded different but familiar, as if it wasn't exactly her own.

The crab girl winced as the wounded parts of her body were bathed in light. A second later, the monster was moving naturally, her scars and her wounds disappeared.

"Yaaay! Thank you, miss angel!"

Eden smiled sadly, then looked at the nuns with slightly sterner eyes.

"Those men are unworthy of those clothes and do not deserve their riches. You shall take those to reimburse the damages you suffered."

"Actually…" One of the nun looked at her feet, afraid to speak up her mind. "We don't exactly need money. We have plenty enough as is…" She shuffled awkwardly "What we need are competent healers, medical supplies and guards to protect them from thieves."

"In that case." Eden stepped forward and smiled. "Allow me to help you. I am an accomplished healer and a loyal defender of those in need. I can help you for both."

The nun looked up. "Are you sure? We help people and monsters indiscriminately, the work is difficult, and it doesn't pay very well."

"I insist. This is the least I could do after the role I played in today's event."

The nun looked at her colleague who was nodding with her approval fervently. "In that case… We will gladly welcome you. Let us accompany you there!"

Eden smiled and slowly nodded. As she slowly started stepping away, she recognized the unpleasant scent of succubi. She stopped and called out.

"Please, show yourselves!"

She saw three imps stepping from rocks, and instantly recognized them as fellow companions of the hero Luka. She smiled to them and crouched to be on their level.

"What are you doing here? You could've been hurt."

"We…" Rami timidly answered. "We were on adventure hunting for treasures to help the people back at the castle."

The seraph realized she had more or less forgotten why she was initially looking for a job. She indeed had wanted to participate to help fund the Pocket Castle to keep on getting cake to eat, but right now it seemed secondary compared to her new self affected goal: She wanted to help other people. She could do without sweets for a time. And if those imps wanted to do the same in their own way, well… It was time to kill two birds with one stone.

"Well, you can take all the riches those bad men carried with them. You're free to do so if it's to help people." She stood up. "But do not molest them. They do not even deserve it."

The imps timidly nodded.

"Good. I trust you to do well in the future." She slowly nodded, still smiling, and caught back with the two nuns as they were moving back to San Ilia.

Eden suddenly realized who she was hearing when she was talking herself: The voices of Micaela and Lucifina after they had fallen from Heaven. She stopped herself. Was it also what was happening to her? Was her fall actually starting?

"Are you alright, miss…"

Before she realized it, she fell into an existential crisis. She realized it was now a long time since she had left Heaven after all, and, since the hero left Ilias Temple, she had been travelling this just like her sisters before her. She was now on the same level as them. In fact, she was sharing her new level with all those that were walking this world.

And even more than before, she now cared about them. Was it what Lucifina and Micaela felt too? Was it a new form of love? She found a certain sense of comfort in it. One she was not used to, but one she could live with and enjoy nonetheless.

"Please, just call me Eden. I will work with you after all." She realized that indeed, her voice sounded just like Lucifina when her sister was discussing with a friend after falling. The same care was present.

Yes. If this was what falling meant, then she embraced it with all her heart.

* * *

"I… Definitively didn't expect that." Lilith was dumbfounded by the seraph's behavior. Eden had never been known for anything beyond chanting the name of Ilias all day long for a reason. Lilith smirked again as she prepared a spell. "Maybe we can also have fun with her…"

"Wait!" Morrigan stopped her. "Think of our plans! We no longer attack the hero or his friends, we don't antagonize them, and he will join us once and for all. It will be an all-you-can-eat buffet of angels, seraph included."

Lilith stopped herself and sighed. "You're right. I'll wait. For now."

Morrigan looked at her sister, who looked slightly upset with letting her prey get away. "Don't worry, we'll have aaaaaall those men begging for their lives for us once the imps are done looting them!"

Lilith looked at the three imps that were plundering the unconscious priests while loading a chest made with the fence from the garden, and which was comically as big as them. She leaned back against a tree after magically changing back into her signature outfit. "Fine. What should we do in the meantime?"

"Well, why don't you start by telling me what you're doing here? I mean I'm glad to see you and all that, but I thought you'd be overworked with what was happening back at the castle!"

"I found myself some free time to travel a bit, then I saw the imps when I reached Port Natalia." She smirked. "Don't they remind you of something?"

Morrigan looked at the sky, pondering her sister's words as she was perambulating. "Meh, they kindaaaa remind me of us in the old times, but that's stretching it."

Lilith giggled. "Well, it's true that you weren't as much a scaredy cat as that small purple one, and Astaroth was a little more energetic than that. But… You get what I mean."

"Always running headfirst into trouble, looking for treasures… I didn't see them suck dry anyone though."

"Oh. Maybe we should do something about it later. I wonder if we can tutor them?"

Morrigan shrugged. "I don't know. The hero wouldn't like it and that would make for more competition on the long run."

"Meh, it still could be fun. In any case, it looks like they're done. Shall we get started?"

Most priests were still in a daze when the two succubi entered in their field of vision. The few that tried moving away were instantly restrained by tentacles made of darkness.

Lilith licked her lips as she could hear priests moan into despair. "It's too bad Astaroth isn't there… Ah, well, she'll have more opportunities later."

The two succubi reduced all the clergymen they could find to dried fish, thoroughly taking their time to torment the men before ending their lives. They eventually reached Maximilian's body. Apparently, the man had fallen unconscious when Eden had thrown him, and then he proceeded to drown into the few centimeters of water that were present where he had landed.

Lilith whistled disapprovingly. "Such a waste from the seraph."

"Meh, that guy was such an asshole I'm not even sure that would have been funny to make him beg."

"There are still a few men where the imps attacked, and now they're thawed. Let's deal with them."

The priests found themselves bound and gagged on the ground. Lilith was leaning over one, and she was enjoying the mix of panic and lust rising in his eyes as her chest was touching him.

"Oooh, don't you want to enjoy your final moments? Relax, big sis will guide you to the doors of Heaven..."

She started straddling him when Morrigan was already halfway done with her first victim. Their feast was interrupted by a strange, whistling sneeze.

"What was that?"

"Oh shit, I almost forgot about them!"

"Lilith Orgia!"

The succubi got up from their meal and looked at their victim. Eva and Amira were lying down, ecstatic expression covering their face.

Lilith looked down at them like one would look at a trash bag. "What a succubus. Can't deal with the smallest wave of pleasure..." She leaned toward Amira. "And… That. Of course. Let's just get rid of them."

Morrigan grimaced. "Still Luka's allies, unfortunately…"

Lilith sighed again. "So cleaning up, a pat on the back, and left free on their own?"

"Yeah..." Morrigan distractedly browsed through the backpack the duo had brought with them. "Wait…" She pulled out a small necklace. "That's the dexterity necklace the hero offered me personally! I thought I had lost it in the colosseum!" She started browsing frantically through the bag head first. "And that's the arousal perfume offered by that Succubus Queen! And that's one of the elemental pendant he got into the Labyrinth!" She pulled her head out of the bag and glared at the duo.

"Those bitches nicked and sold our stuff! I'm so mad I could kill them!"

"Luka's allies, Morrigan, Luka's allies..."

The blue haired succubus snarled and grabbed both monsters before moving further away.

"Soooo I'm going to finish the meal before it gets cold, should I save you something?"

"Just keep me one! I'll be back in a minute!"

"If you say so…"

Lilith got back to the still bounded victim and savored his terror. He tasted even better, and she decided that she could let the other ones cook a little more to be more tasty while waiting for her cute little sister.

Morrigan was indeed back only a minute later. Lilith took an ounce of sympathy for her last unfortunate victims, as her sister was definitively taking her rage on them and making the experience as unpleasant as possible. Still, passing her nerves like that helped her calm down, and she was cheerful again when she was done.

"Haaaa, that hit the spot!" She readjusted herself, and threw the bodies of the party's victims at the sea, letting scavengers have a go at them. "Well. It looks like I'm back at the Pocket Castle then!"

"What do you plan to do with the bag's content?"

Morrigan shrugged. "I'll just gradually empty it here and there so that they think everything was just lost. I'd get too many questions otherwise."

"That's… quite a good plan. Take care!"

The two sisters waved at each other, leaving behind the souvenirs of one strange party.

* * *

When Eva woke up several hours, she felt heavy and dirtier than usual. As she opened her eyes, she realized she was buried in sand up to her neck. Fortunately, she had been buried when it was high tide and wasn't threatened by the water, only midly inconvenienced as the crashing waves licked her neck. She tried looking around, but couldn't see her partner.

"Amira?"

"Right here, above you."

The reverse lamia was entangled in several coconut trees that had been knotted together, completely immobilizing her.

"What happened?"

"A monster crashed into us when we were digging." Amira clicked her tongue. "I am sure she knew about the treasure too! She fell on us right when we were on top of it!"

Eva felt her rage growing as the realization that all her hard earned work had been stolen at the last second by someone else. She groaned and struggled a little, but couldn't move an inch in the sand.

"I can't get out! Can you do anything on your end?"

"I am as stuck as you are, but I have a conveniently placed wooden panel with an escape plan written on it lying in front of me."

"Strange. What does it say?"

"Succubus training: Learn to use your body to get out of any situation. Step 1: The tongue is the most important muscle thanks to the sheer variety of situation it can solve, train it well."

"Is this a joke?"

"Alas, I am afraid not."

Eva frowned. She remembered reading something like that in one of the book of that potato mayor. She didn't exactly care for it, as reading that doorstopper would require more effort than what she was willing to spare.

"Fine, we'll just wait for help instead."

A few hours later, the situation hadn't changed and the sun was starting to set.

"I'm getting hungry."

"You know… I don't think someone would come and save us… Are you sure you can't do anything to free you."

Eva sighed. "Huuurgh, I certainly won't lick sand! Don't worry, I'm sure they're worried sick, and since Mephisto sent us here, she'll come personally to help us soon!"

* * *

Mephisto looked wide eyed at the large chest of gold the imps had brought. The yoma was absolutely dumbfounded. She had sent Eva and Amira on a wild goose chase with the hope to make them lose time and limit the loss of money, and those three little imps had brought them an actual treasure chest, filled to the brim with plundered loot from the Natalia Coast. She poured the whole content on a table in the council room in front of the angels and monsters present.

"There are thirty three seven hundred and fifty two gold coins, around sixty thousand gold worth of equipment, and an additional fifty four thousand gold worth of jewelry for a total that can be rounded to a hundred and fifty thousand."

Promestein kept scribbling notes while looking at her notebook. "On a side note, after a very thorough investigation, we found out that the _cash duo_, as everybody has been calling them lately, had spent an undeclared amount of five hundred and fifty thousand in various vanity projects and parties, which include but are not limited to eating at _The First Gourmet_ daily, also known as the most expensive restaurant in the world. Thanks to their complete lack of management, we managed to recover about half of the money spent, and if we take into account the regular installments made by monsters working into society, we'll have recouped everything by the end of the month."

The angel librarian smirked. "Save for unplanned expenditures, it looks like we'll be fine with the current funds alone for the next three months."

Mephisto blinked repeatedly, still having difficulties accepting the situation. "Sooo… All that concern about our coffers emptying was just because tweedledimwit and tweedledumbass couldn't stop helping themselves to the common funds to live like queens?"

"It would be more correct to say like goddesses. Even queens don't spend that much for themselves." The angel scientist repositioned her glasses. "But otherwise, it is an entirely accurate assessment."

Mephisto wallowed on her chair and rubbed her forehead repeatedly.

"I feel… Tired. Please, don't say anything to anyone." She looked at the imps. "It includes you."

Rami faltered slightly under the gaze, while Rumi sighed and Remi barely trembled. It didn't look like the imps were going to let the cat out of the bag on this one. If the lack of explanations about the appearance of the loot-filled chest was any indication, they were good at staying silent.

Mephisto smiled reassuredly as gears clicked in her head. "I suggest you go back on another adventure, maybe you will be as lucky as you were on this one and will yield the same results."

All the three imps started crying and screaming before leaving in a hurry and slamming the door behind. The yoma and the angels were looking completely dumbfounded at the door. Promestein repositioned her glasses again.

"I think we're missing information about an existing variable here."

"Only one?"


	49. Story 49: Food is an endless fight

"Do you need anything else with that?"

"I'm also going to need twenty jars of Happiness Honey and that'll be all, thank you dear."

"Well, in that case, that'll be five thousand gold. Have a nice day."

"You too. Take care of yourself with this strange weather. You wouldn't want to fall ill."

Odette effortlessly lifted the huge bag of provision that made the result of her shopping spree. Since that young vampire, Vanilla, had created a network merchant, most of the food was now directly supplied by said group at the Pocket Castle to be cooked, and sometimes it was even prepared. After all, feeding an army of several hundred monsters required more resources than what a single person or even a small village could provide. And even then… It was not always enough when the more voracious monsters fell in a binge.

And it was why the misstauros was shopping out today in the streets of Grand Noah, nobody spared a secong glance at the minotaur who was carrying a huge axe around. From afar, she just looked like any farmer. A closer examination of her equipment was needed to see that she was equipped more richly than someone who did hard housework would. Her axe was made from rainbow material, and her clothes were sturdy versions reforged by angelic smiths, with discreet golden ornaments.

"Greetings, Odette… Wow, do we really need that much extra food?"

The misstauros turned to see Lemon, the Ustrel that lived in Luka's castle. The monster's upper part looked like an elegant woman wearing a bowling hat, but her lower part was made of tentacles ending in toothy maws."

"It appears Candi and a few of her friends are currently on a binge. We will have to make sure they get satiated before they decided to take a bite out of another of the resident of the Castle or go to a village."

Her interlocutor nodded. "Well in that case, allow me to assist in preparing a few cakes and ice creams as well."

"Thank you. Let us not lose any time."

The duo of monsters made its way back to the Pocket Castle. Candi and a few other monsters were indeed currently binging in a dining room that was otherwise empty. No other monsters wanted to take the risk of possibly being the victim of her unfortunate appetite. The table the monsters were surrounding was slightly bent under the weight of all the food resting over it: Cakes, ice creams, chocolate, parfait… from afar, it looked like a world escaped from a fairy tales for children.

The most alarming part was the speed at which the food was disappearing in the maws of the monsters around: entire cakes were swallowed without second thoughts, parfaits were devoured in mere seconds, and huge chocolate bars were ended in the bat of an eye.

The two cooks only took a second to look at the scene, having difficulties concealing their disgust for the assault happening in front of them. That food was to be savored, not fully gulped down in a mere second.

They hurriedly joined the kitchen where Teeny, the young lamia, was already working expertly with the support of Cecile, the scylla maid. The two shoppers instantly joined forces with the monsters that were failing to keep the flow of food reaching the tables sufficient to satiate the group of ravenous monsters.

With expert hands, Odette started mixing flour, milk and eggs to create a huge cake that she hoped would at least make the monsters relent, if ever slightly. In the meantime, Lemon took a mix of milk and fruits, and used her skills in magic to freeze the crushed slush to create an ice cream in record time. In the blink of an eye, both of them were passed over to a succubus maid that was waiting for additional plate to help the table's content stand against the craving group. Unfortunately both plates were ended in a single stroke from the monsters that targeted them.

The cooking team did not give up, even as the table started to appear under the food that was yet to be consumed, a silent signal to an approaching defeat. They redoubled the effort and chained the confection of more sweets and sugary confections with their expert skills. Only by staying fully focused could they hope to match the hunger of their opponent. In a single swift motion, Odette perfectly equalized the honey glazing on top of her cake while Lemon added a few perfectly symmetrically cut fruits at the top of it. They were acting in perfect sync, doing their best as a team to not get overwhelmed.

However, Cecile's flames accidentally overcooked one of the cake, resulting in the article being scorched and improper to consume. While none of her ally scolded or even took a second glance at her (not that they could do it in the first place, as all had to focus on their own technique to prevent getting overwhelmed), that misstep threatened even slightly more their delicate situation.

Fortunately, it seemed like most of the monsters at the table were full now. The only remaining opponent was Candi herself, the most formidable foe they could face. The quartet did not relent. In a silent agreement, each cook started crafting a different cake while Teeny was preparing a thick, sugary cream with a mix of milk and honey.

Odette was creating a large basic cake with flour, milk, sugar and eggs, while Lemon also added chocolate in her smaller one, and Cecile was crafting a thin sheet one which she spread jam before rolling it. Once each of them had completed their task piled up the cake starting by the bigger, classical one, then the chocolate one, then the rolled one, and finally, Teeny poured the glazing on top of it while the three other monsters spread it evenly across the cake.

Odette herself carried the almost human sized cake to the now almost empty table in front of Candi. The monster started gorging herself on the sweet food, but she needed several bites to chug it all down. The dessert lasted only barely a minute in front of her, but it appeared indeed to be sufficient to fill her almost bottomless stomach.

"I'm full."

The towering monster slowly got up and left, the quartet hoping that she wouldn't come back at least before a few hours. All five of them sighed in relief when it was clear that they were victorious over their opponent, even if only for a short time.

"I don't know about you, but I'm getting thirsty. First round is on me."

Everybody followed Cecile to the pub.

* * *

A few hours later, the cooks were back at the kitchen to prepare meals for all the monsters, angels and humans that were currently residing in the Pocket Castle. Not all of them were present, but their number this particular evening was high enough to require their combined effort to satisfy all those hungry stomachs. However, their honed skills made quick work of the task required, and soon enough, they could sit themselves with the satisfied sigh of someone who accomplished his duty.

Odette was slowly eating her salad when Lemon expressed her concern.

"It's getting harder to get supplied quality food those days. With all this chaosization around, there are more and more mutant fishes and cultures."

"It's unfortunate." Cecile was eating a cream stew. "I used to rely on Port Marle and Gold Port to supply me in fishes and other sea products, but lately their quality was abysmal, and the quantities decreasing. At this point I will have to look elsewhere to get the supplies I need."

"Sorry to break your bubble, but Port Natalia is currently not any better itself. They pulled a fish the size of a large whale from the ocean a few days ago. Its flesh was simply improper for consumption."

Odette sighed. "Where are we supposed to get our supplies from? Those other worlds?"

Lemon stared in the air as Mephisto stared at the misstauros with an eyebrow raised. Fortunately, Lemon dismissed the idea before anyone else could seriously consider it.

"No, it would be a logistical nightmare since you'd need a team led by the hero to travel each time."

"Besides, grabbing an excessive amount of resources from other worlds risk worsening the chaosization. I would advise against it."

Odette nodded. It sounded more like an order, but she gave in anyway.

"In that case, I will leave your company right now to travel a little. Maybe I will get a few ideas for cooking for this evening."

"I'll go too." Lemon sat up. "I need some space to get creative right now."

"Take care. There are monsters out there."

Mephisto sinisterly laughed at her trait of humor, which only brought exasperated breathing from the other monsters at the table.

Odette left the Pocket Castle to find herself near Grand Noah. She was getting a little too familiar with the resources available in the region, and she didn't feel at ease cooking with Yamatai foodstuff. She could probably practice it later, but certainly not now.

She pondered the situation for a minute. How about going to Sabasa? She never visited the place, and it could be a region as good as any to get the next meal…

* * *

A few hours after reaching Sabasa, the old minotaur regretted her choice. A lot. She had taken up on her to wander the desert in search of ideas, but the place was barren of flora and void of life. The only things she found were small scorpions, which, while edible, would only be consumed by the most desperate adventurers. Or the most idiotic, since a good one would have prepared enough provision to spare himself the trouble.

Her eyes noticed signs of life from afar: A few trees were apparently disseminated across a small meadow around a lake. So that was the Oasis of Blessings… She checked around the place and could see a few desert fruits and other edible plants, but that would be barely enough for a few monsters, and, most of all, it looked like taking them could damage the local ecosystem and turn the place as barren as the remainder of the desert.

Upon looking at the pond itself, she saw a few fishes happily swimming. She somehow produced a fishing rod made of dragon fossil and a master-crafted bait. After throwing in her lure, she only had to wait for a few seconds before her first catch. She reeled in a large fish, and instantly noticed the poisonous gland under its mouth. She released it back, and the fish swam away.

Odette sighed as she realized what she had done amounted to a waste of time when she suddenly saw a large cloud being kicked up on the horizon. She needed them to be quite close before her tired eyes could identify them properly: It was a large pack of Cacti Girls. Around thirty of them were currently moving toward the Oasis of Blessings.

They stopped themselves a few meters away from Odette, and looked at the misstauros with a mix of curiosity and annoyance.

"…You're in our sanctum. This place is sacred for us as a drinking point."

"I apologize, my dears, I did not wish to disturb you."

"And what are you even doing here in the first place?"

"I was just happening to try to search for food, so I considered fishing."

A gasp ran amongst the ranks of monsters.

"She profaned our sacred pool!"

Odette frowned. "I sincerely apologize my dears, you see…"

"Stop calling us my dear, you old hag!"

The cactus girl leading the group wrapped Odette's legs with her whip. The minotaur just stepped back and effortlessly pulled down her assailant, breaking the plant-made restraint in the process. Every Cactus Girl screamed a war cry in unison while she pulled her large Rainbow axe.

The fight was extremely one-sided. In spite of their number, the plant monsters simply couldn't do more than slow down the cow monster. She was not particularly fast, but was tanking hits as if they were so many annoying flies buzzing around her, and she regularly struck down her opponent with the flat of her axe, knocking one unconscious each time. The curb stomp battle only lasted a few minutes before the remaining half that the minotaur hadn't stunned left in a panic in front of this apparently unstoppable force.

The misstauros bent over the leader of the cactus girl with a contrite smile.

"Please, I would like it if you didn't call me a hag. I'm still quite young, you know."

As she looked at the stunned plant monsters, Odette noticed something interesting. Most of them had fruits grown on their body in quite interesting proportions. It looked she had found what she wanted after all. The minotaur smiled, and pulled out a large kitchen knife in front of the terrified Cacti Girls.

"Don't worry my dears, I'm only here for the fruits, you will heal in due time."

* * *

A few hours later, Odette was back at the Castle, consciously preparing her hard-gained food with a mix of milk and sugar or with other fruits to make various desserts.

In the meantime, Lemon had started to cook large slabs of meat that she was seasoning with a mix of spices.

"Well, it looks like we both found something nice for that evening." She looked at Lemon who remained silent while wearing a sour expression. "Are you alright?"

"That meat was harder to get than I expected..."

"Oh, were did you get it?"

"Somewhere near Grand Noah. You don't want the details."

"Oh, I'm an old lady that has seen some things, you know."

Lemon was suddenly barely an inch away from her face, showing off an uncanny smile.

"No. You, and especially you, are part of those people that really don't want to know."


	50. Story 50: Queenly working lord

The four lords of the human kingdoms were meeting once more in the Pocket Castle, as they always did monthly. Since they had joined Luka, organizing meetings to discuss the political situation had become trivial when it required a great deal of preparation in the past. The only minor inconvenience was that additional work was necessary to guarantee each kingdom's ministers could correctly reign in their lord's stead. That way, they could spend time protecting the world with the hero without having to be concerned for their own realms.

Furthermore, it was not the only thing that was different from the past. From the four lords, only one was still fully human: The San Ilia King had to be transformed into a cyborg to survive, the Grangold King had his proto-human blood awakened, turning him into a strange magical golem, while Sara had her succubus blood also forcibly awakened, and while she could change between her human and monstrous form at will, her mentality, her behavior, and her senses were all affected.

And of course, the situation at large had also changed: While humanity and monsters were at peace following the Great Disaster, a mix of mistrust and fear from the human population pushed a lot of monsters out of town after the attacks from the Monster Lord's armies. It was their duty to prevent unrest and limit conflicts, but they could only do so much without the fear of being accused of favoring one side over the other. And then those last weeks were marked by strange supernatural phenomenon: Black Snow falling over several towns, random tremors, mutated crops and livestock... Each and every one of them were events that disrupted the inhabitant's daily lives and further sowed concern for the future. It felt like the prelude to the end of the world.

Right now however, all four lords were just trying to enjoy a small impromptu tea party together. They needed rest as much as anyone, if not even more in these trying times, and there was nothing more relaxing than forgetting their duty for the sake of socializing and discussing the latest rumors in the Pocket Castle in a small room, while drinking tea and eating biscuits.

"A lot has changed recently."

Sara turned toward her senior. "Are you referring to the perception of the succubi after their latest spree, or about how the castle is now emptier as almost everyone is working in daytime?"

"A little bit of both." The Grand Noah queen sipped from her drink. "But I was honestly thinking more about the growing reputation of the hero Luka."

"Indeed. We are not the only ones who got to appreciate and to recognize his helpful nature. He is well known through the streets of San Ilia as the one who helped save the town against the invasion of mermaids." The mecha-pope frowned. Or, more accurately, the expression of his biological part and his shit in tone made it clear he was frowning. "This is a mixed blessing, as people are trying to use his face as a standard to rally in their crusade against monsters."

"Ironic, considering he's one of the more welcoming humans…"

"Fortunately for us, Sabasa is less affected by this rising hatred against monsterkin. Vampires even opened a popular pub in the main street. For the hero himself… His reputation was made when he helped me recover and saved the kingdom from the Lilith Sister's devious plans. I'd just wish my ministers would stop trying to pressure me into marrying him. There is still a war going on, and yet most of them already want me to have children with him."

"I suffer the same issue…" The Grand Noah queen emptily stared at a wall. "I even fired a few after reminding them daily that between the ongoing war and the political turmoil it would create, involving myself in any way with the hero is the last thing I should be doing."

Sara discreetly blushed.

"We considered using the hero in a campaign for discrimination against monsters. We didn't manage to find an appropriate plan yet. The population must not feel betrayed by us or by the hero by showing our proximity with some monsters."

"Also, As much as it pains me to say so, I am worried about his abilities as a public speaker. He would need proper training first, and I am worried he would do a gaffe. He's not exactly the sharpest tool in the drawer."

"And fortunately for us, he's better intended than most heroes that lived through history if the records." The San Ilia king sighed. "It turns out, the word hero might be in a dire need of a definition change."

"Strange. Don't take it personally, but a few years ago you considered heroes a gift from Ilias against the hordes of monsters."

"Since then, I had the possibility to discuss with the legendary hero Heinrich. While the man in himself is definitively hero material, I found out a lot was kept out of his story or was embellished. Now I wonder what exactly is and isn't true in all those stories that didn't always depict heroes in the best of light."

"You could have asked. We have records about it. Mostly related to law enforcement."

"I'm not sure destroying the image of past heroes for the public's eyes would be a great idea. In any case, this only gives us more reason to appreciate the job Luka has done so far. Even if today, some people would wish for him to upstage us, he's sensible enough to know how bad an idea it would actually be. Reigning over a kingdom is quite different from saving the world."

"I just wished the people also took at heart the message that it is possible to be at peace with monsters. The mermaid queen's daughter is trying to atone for what happened and is helping people, and she's not the only monster who's trying her best to diminish the negative effects the Monster Lord's assault had on their reputation. Some are just genuinely good people."

"Then it is our duty that the herculean tasks undertaken by the hero don't end in vain. We shouldn't stop supporting him just because some less than savory individuals decide to use his name as a flag for their crusade of hatred."

"We all agree. Still, it doesn't save us from working toward preventing it."

The small assembly fell silent, and discussed a few rumors like the upcoming tournament at the colosseum or the behavior of their own ministers. After a while, The Grand Noah Queen dusted herself.

"Well, I apologize but I must leave now, but I have to directly lead an investigation following a grievance about the disappearance of one of the more prosperous farmer's cattle. Apparently, his beasts are nowhere to be found."

Sara raised an eyebrow. "A whole herd disappeared?"

"Around a hundred heads if the information I received is correct. Opinions so far are divided on the cause. From chaosization to monsters without forgetting the possibility of a magical experience gone wrong… Everything has been considered." She sighed. "Those matters sure can be annoying… I wish you well."

She got up and left the remaining trio behind her. The Grangold King emitted a long buzzing noise.

"I wish I could still deal with the populace's grievances directly. I miss those times where I could directly interact with my people without having them run away or be treated as a war weapon…"

"I don't." Sara shook her head left and right. "I really don't. I don't know what's the worst with those I have to deal with: The fact that I sucked dry several hundred people that way, or the fact that people kept coming because they wanted to get a taste of my succubus' skills at the cost of their own lives? Or maybe it is the fact that they keep doing it as of today?"

"I… Cannot answer that indeed."

Sara shivered. "As much as I'm happy that my people still acknowledge me as an authority figure after all that happened, I wished I also didn't have to deal with obscene requests daily."

"…I suddenly feel slightly more comfortable about no longer dealing directly with the issues my people suffer. What about you? You used a mechanical look-alike to replace you, and somehow nobody noticed?"

"…Some people did. Let's just say we're keeping herbs and phoenix downs behind the counter and make sure that there's always a healer around since an unfortunate incident happened. Also the new model is more stable and doesn't fall apart to reveal its insides should it stumble."

"Ouch."

"It was managed and cleaned rapidly, and we managed to buy their silence. Still, we're a little more careful from now on."

"Thank you. Now I no longer feel bad about myself."

"What's that even supposed to mean?!"

"That as a golem who can project himself at several places at the same time, I do not have to resort to cheap tricks of this nature."

Sara started feeling very lonely as the golem and the cyborg were ignoring her for the sake of their umpteenth pointless feuds.

"Well." Sara got up and made a small reverence. "I apologize as well for leaving you alone, but I have a few things I wish to discuss with my ancestor. I wish you well."

The Sabasan princess left the place without further ado, ignoring the two "men" who were once again debating the benefit of being transformed either in a golem or in a cyborg. She herself had her own lot of issues since her monster blood awakened, and that debate's resolution was pointless anyway. She made her way to her own room and changed herself into her armor. Maybe travelling a bit after seeing Sphinx would calm her instinct…

* * *

Mephisto and a few of her students were examining the enclosure where most of the cattle was located before disappearing in mysterious circumstances. She drew several magic symbols around which shone for a moment, sighed, and got back to the house.

It was one of those issues that would normally be dealt with by a lower ranked minister and his entourage. However, it reassured the population that the queen would sometimes come to take care of the issues herself.

The queen was currently discussing with the farmer in his small mansion. The stone building wasn't particularly big, but it was practical, done for someone who wanted to pass his legacy rather than to show off his wealth. When Mephisto entered, she could tell her superior was tired while the man had apparently been ranting for several minutes already.

"-And I apologize your majesty, but I cannot stress this enough! This might just be one of the numerous herds to provide meat for the people of Grand Noah, but it's my whole and only source of income."

The queen instantly turned to Mephisto when the yoma entered the room. "Did your investigations yield any results?"

Mephisto bowed. "I have managed to gather several clues as to what could have happened. However, I will need some time to further analyze it in my laboratory."

"Very well." The Grand Noah queen got up. "We will get sure you will be able to maintain your business in the meantime. We will contact you as soon as we get the result."

The man kneeled. "Thank you my queen! You're too good for this world!"

The duo left the small manor, and teleported away as soon as they stepped out. They arrived in the small council room that was adjacent to the throne in Grand Noah's castle. The queen sighed.

"Let's not beat around the bush. It is one of Luka's cook, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"…And it was yesterday's meal, wasn't it?"

"Indeed."

The queen emitted a displeased, inelegant groan that lasted for several seconds. "Please solve this at the best of your abilities. Once you'll get the full details, make sure to find a compromise that would punish the culprit without risking to compromise our food supplies."

"I will."

"Thank you."

Mephisto disappeared while the queen took a few minutes to refresh herself and enjoy a last cup of tea before the time to deal with grievances officially started. Like her fellows, she had mixed feelings about them. A part of her enjoyed having to deal with different issues than usual while getting to know more personally the people that were toiling under her, while another considered it a loss of times spent dealing with inanities.

She sat on her throne, the guard nodded, and soon enough the first daily request arrived. It was a noblewoman who had judged necessary to bring both a haughty attitude and her children with her. Two teenage boys that were looking at the decor. Her clothes were richer-looking than the queen's, to the point of looking gaudy.

"Greetings." Her noble accent was ringing wrong to the queen's ears. "I am here to complain about the depraved spectacles given at the colosseum. Those poor children have had to deal with scarring experiences after that elf defeated a gladiator and she… urgh! She had her way with him! In front of everyone, too!"

The queen inwardly sighed. The layout of the upcoming exchange was already fully drawn into her mind for being a too frequent occurence, even as of today. "I apologize that your children saw that against your will, but most fights in the colosseum that involves monsters end that way. Did they tell you how they went in?" The two teenagers didn't seem particularly traumatized, more ashamed of their mother than anything else.

The woman scoffed. "They were accompanying me! Are you suggesting that they entered there illegally like lowly thieves? We're a responsible family."

"You deliberately brought them to see a monster fight a man, in spite of the fact that you knew and were likely warned of what you would end up seeing?"

"Well, I estimate that I was not warned properly! Reinforce your warning system for next time! We shall not endure such an obscene spectacle again!"

So far, everything played out accordingly to what the queen planned. She joined her hands under her chin and gave the sweetest smile she could muster. "Very well, I will make sure that the large posters at the entrance will magically draw everyone's gaze to get sure the message will not subtly escape them, while our announcer repeatedly warns everyone."

The woman nodded happily, before frowning when she realized the queen was not so subtly mocking her. "Heurgh, are you really the queen of this kingdom? Children, we're moving to Lady's Village! There I will find my place!"

"I sincerely hope that neither you nor your children will mind the neighbors."

The woman left in a huff. While the queen briefly fustigated herself for her lack of tact, she was also a renowned ruler for her assertive attitude against this type of nonsense. And while it was true the nature of the shows at the colosseum could be surprising, people were warned of what they would expect to see when they entered, and they were expected to act accordingly.

She might have a responsibility for the show's content, but it was up to the people to decide if they wanted or not to watch it.

Save for that unwelcome surprise, today's grievances for the queens were unremarkable, being mostly centered around the small conflicts between the humans and multiple monsters communities… The first mistake one would make would be to lump every monsters into the same category when the differences could be huge. Mixing succubi and elves for example was a disaster that one of her predecessor committed and paid the price for.

She ended her day in the company of the village chieftain of Yamatai. The village was acting mostly independently from the region's capital because of his isolated location, but it didn't prevent both leaders to gather and discuss business over a cup of tea.

"I wish I had participated more in the colosseum in my youth. I would have enjoyed fighting in the arena."

The queen raised an eyebrow. "Fighting… Or losing?"

He gave a small enigmatic smile as an answer. "Is it important?"

The queen chuckled. "No. I guess not." They spent several minutes silently enjoying this moment of tranquility before the queen started addressing him again.

"You seem to do better than the last time I saw you. Things improved that much since then?"

"Oh, yes. There was that hero who came help us and since then, the gods are once again listening to us… Maybe you've heard of him. Small man with purple hair and a red cape…"

Luka, of course… It was as if every solved issue in this world came back to him. The hero had done more in a few months than most could hope to accomplish in their lifetime.

"Yes. I'm currently working with him."

"Mmmh. In that case, you should always keep an eye out on him. The one who looks for troubles only has to look up to find them raining upon him."

The Grand Noah queen raised an eyebrow. "Proverbial wisdom?"

"I remember this one from my uncle." The village chieftain emitted a small, raspy laugh. "I always remembered him saying that when you meet someone, you should always act in the way he expects you to, even if it's not in your nature. It's the best way to take them off guard. Then he left the village and disappeared, bringing tears to everyone… Until we learned he only left to visit Succubus Village where he had an _accident_."

"…I can totally imagine that happening."

The Village chief finished his tea, got up and bowed. "I thank you for being an accommodating host for these old bones, and I wish you the best for your future. Farewell."

"I only wish you the same."

A few minutes later, the Grand Noah Queen was back into the Pocket Castle. That day had not been particularly exhausting, and yet, she felt tired. On her way back to her room, she saw Mephisto admonishing one of the chief, two healers working on one of the kitsune that wounded herself training, and a pile of requests aimed at the hero asking for his help. If anything, her colleague was right when saying that people who solved troubles were bound to attract more.

Well, it was the spice of life after all.


	51. Story 51: Tales of the hero - By Amira

Once again, most of the younger monsters were happily seated on the thick carpet in a large room, waiting for more stories to be entertained by near the fireplace. This time, however, it wasn't Mephisto who was going to do the reading…

"Greetings, young children! It is I, Amira, the snake in the golden wind that will tell you stories of the hero Luka! All of you might have heard some of his exploit, and a few of you might have even been lucky enough to accompany him on one of his numberless adventures! But I, as the greatest informant that ever existed and one of the single most experienced adventurer, was requested to be by his side for most of his adventures! And now, my narrating skills have been acknowledged, and I have been asked by Mephisto to write down and narrate the hero's adventures! That's right! Even your teacher recognizes me as her superior! And so, I will tell you everything of the hero's adventures, as well as my close experiences with him…."

The reverse lamia moaned nasally, resulting in a strange vibration crossing the air.

"And the Dark Goddess herself only knows how close I have been to the hero… If you'd know how often I personally accompanied him… He cared for me and I made sure to take care of his needs like only the best battle couples do…"

A small voice interrupted the lamia's reverie. "You never got as close to Luka as that, and the reason you're the one telling stories today is because Mephisto is busy managing the food supplies with the cooks."

Amira glared at the source of the interruption to see Gob. The small blue-eyed goblin girl was wearing a kimono from her native region of Yamatai rather than her usual outfit, and her short blond, messy hair were free from their leather cap for once.

"And what do you know, miss runner?! Don't you have to work today like your little friends?"

"The warehouse I work for no longer has meat to deliver. I'm on a day off."

"And then you decided to come here rather than to just run in the wild?" Amira eyed the small goblin suspiciously. "Are you a spy sent here by Mephisto who will snitch every enhancement I bring to my stories?"

"No, I'm not one. I only came here to enjoy the show."

Amira clicked her tongue for the first time of the day. "Then stay silent! You're disturbing your little companions and breaking the magic! Everyone! Isn't she annoying?!"

All of the other children shook their head negatively. Another small voice rose from the first rank. "Mephisto told us that in magic, it's important to be as close to the truth as possible. Or otherwise you end transforming your friend in a sheep when you want to heal her…" The monster looked down and started playing with her feet.

Amira started sweating as she felt the situation escape from her control. "Don't worry children! There won't be anyone transformed or anything like that! Everything I do is to teach you about the adventures of the hero and to entertain you!"

"Yaaay!"

So, let's not lose any time and get started with one of the first of many of the hero's adventure…

* * *

_As we looked for a way to join the continent of Sentora to help his skills grow, me and the hero ended in the only city that had a harbor on the whole Ilias Continent: Iliasport. Unfortunately, not a single captain wanted to bring our company to the other side of the sea for a mysterious reason. The hero was worried, but I, the great Amira, did not lose my cool and used every one of my information gathering skills to find out why. After an epic effort from my end that involved judicious spending to make the locals talk, I learned the cold, hard truth: A magical tempest was preventing us from reaching the other side. The forces of the Monster Lord were already terrified of the hero, and wanted to prevent him to join the other continent at all cost already! All seemed already lost as the hero's adventure threatened to reach a premature end! But once again, my information skills saved the day! After spending more times risking my life in a dump, cruddy bar to gather information, I learned that a cave not far from the city contained the treasure of the infamous pirate Selene!_

_And so, supported by my words of encouragement and guided by my directions, the hero started making his way to the aptly named Cave of Treasures. But the grotto wasn't as close as initially expected and we were forced to take a break midway. We happily camped together under the starred sky, and our bond became stronger as I taught him more of my crafts as he was eager to learn. When I think back of those nights we spent together, my maiden heart flutters like the wings of a butterfly, kyuuuu! ...Except our moment got interrupted by a lone centaur who was lost. What a brick!_

_Anyway, we reached the Cave of Treasures itself the next morning. It appeared the Monster Lord was aware of our plan, as she had sent an elite army of kitsunes here to take the Poseidon Bell for herself! Luckily for us, my knowledge into those damnable wolves-…_ Foxes! I know, I know! I was just testing your own knowledge! Stop interrupting me! _So as I said, those damnable fox monsters were all over the place and relentlessly assaulted us! Fortunately, guided by my words, the hero managed to exploit their weakness and push the whelps back by outsmarting them. _

_Unfortunately, in spite of my repeated warnings, he later fell into an obvious trap. He opened a chest obviously placed into the middle of a cavern, and the chest opened to reveal a mimic! I had to step in, and nearly risked myself to save the hero…_ No! I wasn't the one who opened it! I swear on Domaimer's head! And I told you to stop interrupting me! I keep telling you that I'm the one who got- who saved the hero! Besides, it's only a small detail in the grand scheme of things! _As I said, we finally managed to beat the mimic, but it was the first of our many encounter with those damnable chest monsters._

_So eventually, we finally reached the deepest point in the cavern. Selene's treasure was protected by none other than Nanabi herself, one of the most powerful and terrifying monster out there. That bloodthirsty beast will trample you and kill you without a second thought…_ I'm not lying! You're the one lying! Tsk! Fine! The gate was guarded by Nanabi, one of the respected elder of the kitsune race! Happy now? _Anyway, that horrendous monster trampled with alarming ease on my beloved and myself, and I didn't manage to get my famous second wind to pull us out of this situation. And so we were only rescued by a strange, shameless succubus who instantly hit on Luka before being driven away by my own love for him… And so we went to the sea with a bitter taste in our mouth, without any idea yet of the catastrophe that would befall us…_

_Because you see, while we were aware that the tempest was created by the Monster Lord's forces in a bid to keep us stuck on Ilias Continent, my network failed me! They didn't inform me that the monster creating it was that horrible, petty succubus named Morrigan! And so she descended and faced the hero, who only managed to hold out once again thanks to my advices. Our fight was long, hard, and epic, but we managed to put her on her knees and make her beg. However, that shameless useless bitch resorted to cheating- _I don't care about the no bad word rule of your teacher. Mph!_ And so after beating her, she cheated and used her undeserved powers to threaten to kill us after pretending to be beaten! And then a dumb seraph arrived and nearly blew us up while fighting her! They nearly killed us by accident for the sake of their petty grudge war! I suppose their mothers are shameless, useless whores too! Fortunately, having heard about me legendary prowess, mermaids came to rescue us. Still! This shameless ugly whore and her sorry excuse of sisters could use a few lessons in live. They also probably only wish they had as many men at her feet as me._

"Do you want to challenge them?" Gob was leaning back, fully relaxed.

"What? Why Would I?"

"Well, you're saying you're more attractive than a succubus, so I thought you would want to prove it to Morrigan. Succubi can get quite miffed when their sexual skills are put into question, and she's got quite a sense of family, soooo... insulting her on both front would look interesting."

"Pfft! That shameless harlot will somehow find a way to cheat with her useless sisters. I'd beat them all in a heartbeat and imprison them in a small cell for good measure." Amira looked up and proudly declare. "The lion does not care for the challenge of the ant, does he, children?"

Everybody nodded negatively. "You're right, the lion wouldn't care for the challenge of the ant. That's better like that." Gob smiled enigmatically.

Amira glared at the source of her annoyance. "Do you really want to listen to more stories?"

The goblin girl's smile became full blown. "Yes please… Actually, why don't you talk about… Solitary Island and the Spider Princess?"

"Why this one specifically?"

"Because… You know… Spider Princess wanting to get all lovey-dovey with Luka? I'd thought it would be one you followed closely."

The reverse lamia's eyes narrowed as she tried to guess if the small monster was not mocking her, but she nodded and started counting the tale none the less.

* * *

_As you know, the Monster Lord had declared a war of extermination against mankind in the past. The hero heroically stood against her forces as they attacked the capital of the human realms, and, thanks to my guidance, managed to step in to defend each kingdom just in time. The arachne army was attacking Grangold in large number, and the city's defenders had almost been overwhelmed when Luka stepped in. It's only thanks to his intervention -and maybe the Grangold King, but still, mostly Luka- that the cities remain secure. After pushing them back, I personally came up with a clever, crafty strategy to deal with them once and for all: Getting the queens on our side!_ …What do you mean it's been decided by the Grand Noah Queen? I was the one who came up with it!...Okay, I was there… FINE, I WAS HIDING IN THE POCKET CASTLE AFTER AN INCIDENT WITH THE COLOSSEUM! Yes, I was sidelined and got my second hand information from Sonya and Mephisto themselves… Please let me continue… (So much for a maiden's dream, kids are so cruel…)

_And so the hero made way for Solitary Island to take down the Spider Princess, the monster who personally led the assault on Grangold. After crossing dark and treacherous caves and facing countless spiders, he eventually beat down the Spider Princess into an epic fight. Afterward, she relented and accepted to end her attacks on the humans of Grangold. However that would not be the end of his issues with that monster: She became enamored with his power, and at the same time had her sight set on the vacant throne of the Insect Queen._

_So naturally, she called up upon him a few weeks later, and I was a part of those that accompanied him this time. She wanted to get named by her fellow queen bee and queen ant to sit on the throne. However, her reputation as a cruel and ruthless leader was already acknowledged by the two other monsters who were informed by my-. _Okay, fine, everybody knew that she's a bitch who eat everyone except her own servants already. _Anyway, even as she presented herself as an atoner after the hero's actions, none of the other queens accepted her authority and stood ready to fight her to prevent her access to the throne. And so the hero was torn apart by his decision, stuck in the middle as both groups demanded his support. Would he help the supposedly reformed and rejected Spider Princess, or would he take a safer option and have one of the other two?_

_And so he turned to my advices to support him. I offered him every bit of my wisdom available to guide him and be sure that he would make a decision he wouldn't come to regret. He decided to face the Spider Princess to put an end to her ambitions once and for all. I'm glad to say that he didn't regret anything so far, confirming that he indeed made the good choice. Afterward, I smoothed out things so that she would join us peacefully. And so thanks to me we recruited another of the queen that attacked the human realms. And so, by respect for me, she stepped out of the way of the blooming relation between me and the hero, even as he refuses to acknowledge it and carelessly recruited disasters after disasters against my wish. This man is so dense he will never understand a maiden's heart._

"She's still as enamored with him as ever. And your advices could be summarized as shouting _kill her_ ad nauseam. You definitively didn't smooth things out."

"Feh! What do you know! Were you here?"

"Mephisto was."

"And who do you think has more credibility? A yoma known for being a sick, twisted devious traitor that used to follow the Monster Lord, or the supreme mistress of this world's best network of informant?"

Every children answered in perfect synch. "Mephisto!"

Amira emitted several indignant sounds. "Do you really think that your teacher Mephisto is the best person around ?!"

"Yes!"

"Tch!" Amira clicked her tongue. Then I suppose I have no choice but to tell you the whole truth about her! Listen to the story of how Mephisto came to join us!"

She ignored Gob's widening smile.

* * *

_So let's start with the arrival of me, the hero and that sorry excuse of a princess Sara in Grand Noah. We needed to go to Esta to examine the Tartarus located there, but the situation was tense because of the war of Grangold and we risked being treated as spies. Well I knew from the start that Mephisto was in cahoot with that useless whore Lilith -That idiot Morrigan's sister, not the other-, but still, we had to humor her and fight the arena because she had a little plan and was playing the Grand Noah queen like a fiddle… Still, we ended up fighting heroically in the colosseum for our dear lives for her twisted entertainment, and ended up facing no other than the succubus queen, Alma Elma herself! But as all seemed lost in that fight, I awakened to my second wind and heroically held her alone after the hero got incapacitated. _What, it's true! This one is actually true! Pfah! Then don't accept it, it actually happened! Tch! _And just when we thought we were done, it was revealed that it was a trap created by that dumb witch Mephisto to use Granberia, the Heavenly Knight of fire, to capture Alma Elma! Seriously, who brings a dragonkin to capture a succubus. Well, we beat this one back easily because the succubus queen also decided to get rid of her. So much for Mephisto's plan I guess._

_Fortunately, the Grand Noah queen also started picking up the hints… About time I guess! She sent us to infiltrate her magical advisor's academy where we saw her discussing with Lilith! And then we beat her down! We fought her and won after an easy fight! Tsk! So much for your tough teacher! The only thing I didn't understand is why the queen wasn't much harsher with that traitor! If I was her, I would have killed her on the spot…_Yes, I was here, and? …I didn't act because I knew it would have saddened the hero. Certainly not because she would have slain me on the spot if I tried anything funny.

_And somehow, she joined us back to help us infiltrate Grangold. Feh! You can talk about help as much as you want! First, we had to go through the whole of Gold Fort without her help, then we had to meet her in a toxic swamp, and then she ran out of spells so we had to destroy several of Grangold's golems ourselves! Yes, she had contacts with the mafia to help set the next stage of our plan in the city, but I could have done it myself! And when the chips were finally down, she got beaten into oblivion and proved as useless as any of us against her former allies! Even that useless succubus Lilith managed to beat her._

_And so is the reality of your whiny teacher, the so ominously named Mephisto. See, children? I, Amira, the one whose words are carried by the wind itself, is on my league above her! Oooh, sure she helped us here and there, but she's always a torn in our side at risk of betraying us. _

"And I know deep down that she's currently plotting every hour to overthrow us and go back to her lords, waiting slyly… Else why would she have assumed the responsibilities of the finances_?"_

"Because you're completely irresponsible? Vanilla is still not over the fact that you tried to sell the herb stock mixed with mushrooms as recreational drugs." Gob was corpsing, trying to hold back her laughter.

"Tch!" Amira clicked her tongue once more. "In any case, I'm sure my stories are more entertaining than hers! Aren't they, children?"

All of the other young monsters were looking down, a mix of shame and confusion on their face before a small voice echoed from the back row. "I prefer Mephisto's stories... She won't be happy to hear that about her..."

"Neither will miss Morrigan..."

"Or Spider Princess…"

"Feh! They won't know anything about it as long as you don't tell anything! So don't tell anything!"

"They're already unhappy…"

Amira haughtily sneered. "And how do you know that?"

Every young monster raised their arms toward the window behind Amira.

The trembling reverse lamia slowly turned to see Morrigan's insane grin, Spider Princess's frown, and Mephisto's cold, deadly gaze. The succubus showed one of her hand surrounded in her signature psychokinetic aura while mouthing death threats toward Amira, Spider Princess showed off her claws and her razor sharp teeth, while strange, complex magical symbols appeared in front of Mephisto.

"Kya!"

Amira jumped in fear and started waddling out of the room under the surprised expression of all the children. A spare second later, only Mephisto was remaining behind the window, saying that it was now time to work for her students. All of them magically pulled out books and started reading or taking notes.

Gob nonchalantly got up, dusted herself off, and left by the door without being so much in a hurry. She made her way back at the entrance of the castle without a care in the world while the place was now the stage of a course hunt. She could occasionally hear a mix of furniture being broken, and various colorful screams flying from one or the other protagonist of this impromptu cartoony chase. Most residents of the Pocket Castle weren't even reacting to the mess, continuing their activities and only taking a second to avoid one or the other chaser or their unfortunate victim. The goblin girl patiently waited near the entrance and saw Amira rushing toward it at an impressive speed all things considered.

However, the reverse lamia ended up stuck in the doorway and was lifted from the ground by a web of sticky strings. Her three pursuers slowly stepped toward her as she struggled to free herself, but she only actually only managed to further wrap herself in a cocoon. The three monsters waited, smiling, and once the ball of strings that made for the victim of the trap fell on the ground, they slowly started rolling it away.

"I'm going to teach you to respect your elders you piece of garbage!"

"Good grief, we have a lot to discuss first. Then you'll teach her what respect means."

"Dear Morrigan, how about we join force for that one afterward? I have a few ideas…"

Gob turned away from the scene, indifferent to the future of the imprisoned monster who was being carried to a fate best left unknown. A few minutes later, her fellow past bandits came back to the Pocket Castle.

"Gaah, hey Gob! What's new?"

The goblin girl just shrugged. "Nothing much, really. The usual."

"Mini wanted to visit Grand Noah to see the colosseum! Wanna join us?"

"Sure. Just me let change, I'll be here in a minute."


	52. Story 52: Four bandits for a phoenix

Nobody spared a glance at the group of young looking monsters who entered Grand Noah. The Four Bandits, accompanied by Mini, were touring through the city at a slow pace, strolling as the young phoenix girl was admiring the city with starry eyes. For a reason, she was amazed by the smallest things, which endeared her companions a great deal.

"Woaaah, this place is so nice! I wished I lived here before instead of that cruddy dump!"

She was running around from place to place, amazed by the stone houses, the flowers-covered central plaza, or even the moats around the castle. While several of her companions were also happily walking around, one of them was also slightly miffed by her current predicament.

"You only invited me so that I could carry your stuff, didn't you?" Gob was carrying and balancing an impressively high pile of crates behind Vanilla and Papi. Some of them were merchandises that the vampire sold to one of the shop, while the other ones were smiting equipment and materials found far from Grand Noah, such as Rainbow Crystal.

"No, of course not!" Vanilla sounded unconcerned by her friend's sarcastic remark. She was walking with a dreamy smile as she envisioned the profit she would do from her new deals.

"Uga! We are a team! You are the muscle, Vanilla's the brain, Mini's the heart, Teeny is the legs, and I'm the leader!"

"…We never chose you as the leader."

"Indeed, it should be me, the brain!" Vanilla puffed her chest proudly.

"You would just make us slave away…"

"I want to be a princess!" Mini happily twirled around. "I will care for all people under me!"

"We're still taking care of you…"

"Then you will be my servant!" The small phoenix started pouting.

A few minutes later, the small group had reached the shop where Gob could finally drop off most of the crates she was carrying. Vanilla negotiated a few additional minutes with the merchant, and, sooner than later, the small vampire left, happy with her business. She was rapidly caught back by her partners.

"She didn't even give you gold for all the stuff I delivered?"

Vanilla scoffed. "We're merchants on a grand scale. We exchange goods worth hundreds of thousands of gold daily. Do you think we'd walk around with purses that big?"

"The hero Luka does and it works fine for him."

Vanilla deflated, but still gave an explanation to Gob. "It's managed by the trade guild and banks behind in offices. I have an account specifically to my name managed by an advisor to save me the trouble."

"Wow! And everybody can do that?"

The vampire girl haughtily chuckled. "You have to be a recognized member of the merchant guild, and only traders of high rank like me can have an advisor."

"But… Still… Don't you want to have all that gold ready?" Mini tilted her head in confusion.

"We're talking about a loooooot of money. See this street?" Vanilla gestured to the large, pave central paved way of Grand Noah. I could cover it all with my gold alone!"

"Woaaaah! I'm sure nobody else could do that!"

"See? You don't see merchants carrying that much gold because it's heavy and bulky!"

"I don't see people walking while carrying that much stuff just like that either." Gob's voice echoed from under the still impressive pile of crates she was carrying.

"Well, that's because you have unique skills." Vanilla answered while trying to sound like she was not about to get outsmarted by Gob.

When they reached the forge, Papi was greeted by the smith like an old friend. The two exchanged a few pleasantries before the man checked the content of the crates, and whistled in admiration. He praised the girls for the quality of the material found, and gave Papi a document that the latter gave herself to Vanilla.

"I'll have to come back to help him, but I have a few hours in front of me before we actually start. Soooo, what next?"

"Wait…" Mini looked sad for a moment. Nobody else can come to help him? There was someone else near the smith..."

"Uga! That's because I'm a master smith! I'm one of the only people, human and monsters alike, who's able to work the content of the crate! Everybody request my skills!"

"About that… There's still a crate to deliver…" Gob looked at the final large wooden box, a slight shade of despair showing in her eye."

"Ah! Yes! It's furniture I have to deliver to the inn! I almost forgot!" Teeny awkwardly chuckled.

The goblin girl sighed, but she none the less picked the box and delivered it to the inn, still accompanied by the four other party members. The innkeeper thanked them, discussed business with Teeny a little about the needs to adapt the accommodation to traffic, and the group left afterward.

"A good hostess should always know how to adapt to please its customers."

"Woah, that's so cool! …But can we see the colosseum now?"

The small party made its way to the large arena, which soon filled their field of vision. Once again, Mini was absolutely amazed by the massive arena standing in front of them, a big goofy smile on her face and her eyes filled with stars. She repeatedly jumped around like an over excited child on a sugar rush, and kept repeatedly shouting.

"I want to visit it! Let's go inside!"

And so the small party entered the lobby of the colosseum. They were greeted by a smile from the woman behind the counter and the guard, and looked around a bit while a few gruff-looking men were sitting on a bench, sarcastic smirks on their faces.

"I want to see a match!"

One of the men chuckled. "Get out of there, kids, you're too young to see what's happening besides those walls."

Gob raised an eyebrow. "Actually, I'm a regular fighter at the colosseum…"

"Riiiight…"

"She's Hammertime." The guards and the greeter announced in perfect synch.

The man raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Very funny. Now get out of… there…"

Gob proceeded to pull out an impressively large hammer from nowhere, and she lifted it on her shoulder like it was nothing before turning toward the greeter.

"Can we get five tickets for me and my friends to see the next match, please?"

"That will be 50G. Please put away your weapons so that you don't disturb other spectators. Have a nice day!"

* * *

The party left the colosseum an hour later, and while all five young monsters were pretty happy with the show, Mini was still the most excited of the lot.

"That first fight was so epic! I mean the centaur charged that man, then bang she stuck him down, then he got up, then the elf stepped in and paralyzed the centaur, then the man attacked the elf and then she showed him good!"

She twirled around to look at Gob… "And then there was that match where you completely tossed that giantess liked a broken doll and everyone was singing your name! That was impressive! How do you do that?"

Gob awkwardly blushed. "Well, I started training with Salamander and Gnome for several hours a day…"

"I want to be popular just like you! And you! And you! And you!"

"Sure, but you have a lot of work to do to reach the peak of glory. What can you do?"

Teeny's extremely relevant question froze the phoenix girl mid-air, then every four bandits.

"I mean… What can you do besides belching fire and using your feathers to revive people?" Teeny corrected herself as Mini was starting to tear up. "I mean, those are powerful skills that make you useful, but… What do you want to do?"

"I…" Mini was starting to cry. "I have no idea! I'll never be as good as you! I'm just a load!"

The Four Bandits cuddled the small phoenix (or more accurately trying to not crush her, as Gob and Papi still had difficulties controlling their own strength). "It's okay, we're going to find you the best job ever."

Mini looked at her friends, still sniffling occasionally. "For real?"

"For real! It won't be that hard, right? Let's start by considering what you can do!"

"Well, I can fly, I can breathe fire, my tails revive fallen guys, and I can keep reviving indefinitively."

"Then why don't you come help us at our lab? We could use someone like you…"

"KYA! When did you arrive!?"

The group turned to face Promestein. The small angel scientist was smiling while holding a notepad. "I also was watching you at the colosseum…"

"Creepy…"

Promestein repositioned her glasses in a hurry. "That's not what I meant! I wanted to say that I saw you enter the colosseum when you arrived, and I watched several matches, including Gob's…" She once again nervously repositioned her glasses, which were getting slippery with her own sweat. "But let's get back on the matter at hand… I never had the opportunity to study phoenixes. They're incredibly secretive, and I wanted to ask you questions about your lifestyle, and how do phoenix tails finish in great quantities in the human market…"

"…Didn't you also say something about using her for experiments?"

Promestein stuttered for a few seconds before leaving awkwardly, her face decomposing as she excused herself and left the group to ponder what they should do once more.

Gob turned back toward Mini. "Soooo, do you think you'd want to fight in the colosseum?"

Mini shook her head negatively. "I'm tired of fighting bad guys!"

Teeny's mouth opened to suggest working in kitchens and becoming a cook, but a certain episode involving Papi and the kitchen being set on fire while meat was charring was coming back to her mind. Just because some monsters could cook their own meal without tools didn't mean they were skilled at it. She decided to remain silent, and see if her partners in crime could come up with a better plan. However, Papi didn't manage to come out with something better than the idea to use the small phoenix as a support to heat up the forge, while Vanilla, the merchant she ever was, once again suggested to sell the phoenix girl's tails. She retracted her statement after four mean looks froze her into place.

Gob raised a finger. "I… No." She deflated and started looking pensively at the ground again."

"There wouldn't be anyone in the castle to tell people what job they're good at?"

"Mmmmmhhh…"

* * *

Mephisto sighed in front of the small group after Tenny asked her the question about Mini.

"I could advise you if you were more interested in a career in magic, but as it currently is, no…" She joined her hands under her mouth. "As it stands, the only advice I have is to not let yourself be exploited by people who wants to exploit your feathers…" Everybody briefly glared at Vanilla, who looked once again passably ashamed. "And to try your hand at several jobs, because I will be fully honest and tell you that I don't have a single idea what job you would be good at… Do you at least have the smallest idea of what do you want to do?"

"Helping people!" The small phoenix answered cheerfully.

"That's… Broad... Let's try a different approach… Is there anything you don't want to do?

"Being manipulated by bad guys and hiding myself!"

Mephisto's head slowly hit her desk once, then twice in front of the not-so-surprised four bandits. She calmed down and assumed a reassuring smile.

"While your intentions are worthy of praise, I unfortunately can't say that they will get you a good job easily. First of all because you don't even know what you're really looking for."

Mini looked down, slightly ashamed of herself.

"But you're still young, and have actually quite a few skills that could be put to good use. Why don't you travel the world with your friends? It's not like it's difficult in those days, and so far, I've always -well... often- seen good results coming from that."

"But where could we-"

"I WANT TO GO TO YAMATAI!" Mini rushed through the door at an impressive speed, soon followed by Gob who was running just as fast, and eventually by the three others, Teeny taking the time to bow and thanks Mephisto as they left in front of the dumbfounded yoma. The hall fell silent for a moment before Succubus, the mayor of the village with the same name came in.

"You didn't happen to have seen Eva or Amira, did you?"

Thanks to her experience, Mephisto managed to hide her bemusement and offered out an easy lie.

"No, why?"

Succubus sighed. "Oh, I was just wondering. We received an additional cargo of potatoes and I wondered if they could use their network to explain why I keep receiving some… Or maybe you could explain it yourself?"

Mephisto pondered the options available to her. She could tell the mayor the whole truth about the duo and save her interrogator some time, or she could just let the surprisingly reasonable, scantily clad nymphomaniac monster search around for more.

Upon remembering that said monster was also one of the two representatives of that race of sex-crazed monsters actually doing effort to manage her race's more problematic behavior, she decided it was better to give succubus a half-truth. Only because she didn't want to be the one to deal with with her kin."

"You see, about that… The latter had a bad run-in with Morrigan and Spider Princess..."

* * *

"Woaaaah, this is so cool!"

The small party was now in the oriental village of Yamatai, where once again the small phoenix girl was amazed by the environment. Whether it was the unusual architecture proper to the region, the clothes worn by the people, or the local monsters (that she shouldn't have been discovering, as the lot of them lived in the Pocket Castle), everything was a reason for her to be amazed.

They took the opportunity to taste some of the local food, and eventually, they found themselves at the bottom of the famous Shrine Hill. The group of monsters visited the first three shrines quite rapidly, and soon was in sight of the large, magnificent Snake Shrine. Mini rushed in at an impressive speed, ignoring the handmaiden at the entrance to directly fly upstairs to stop herself in front of the younger of the two Shirohebi sister.

"I want to be worshipped just like you!"

The white lamia let out a surprised, bemused chuckle, and, a second later, the four bandits arrived accompanied by the handmaiden.

"Mini! It's rude to rush in people's house like that!" Teeny raised a scolding finger.

"Sorry…" The small phoenix girl deflated.

"Oh, it's the small company of the hero! Don't worry about it… Now, did you came here to see me for anything in particular?"

Mini was back to dancing. "I want to be like you! I want a big house and I want to be worshipped and…"

"I see.. What wisdom do you have to offer people?"

"Wisdom?" The phoenix girl got extremely close to the white lamia, who appreciated the radiating warmth. "What do you mean?"

"Well, a large part of this shrine got built by donations people made after having benefited from my wisdom. They often come on their own accord here to ask me for advices on issues they suffer from in their lives, whether it's something as mundane as dealing with an heartache, advices for crops, or sometimes more specific about potion crafting." She gestured around herself. "And this wisdom, as well as other skills from my family, is what got us recognized for generations. We had this shrine built and expanded, becoming bigger and bigger to reach the structure you see now. But it wasn't always easy for us."

"That stuff is too complicated! Can't I just stand in and be worshipped and be rich from donations?"

"No. That would just be lazying around, and getting rich requires effort. Or an alarming amount of luck."

"Guuuuh…" Mini went limp once more.

"But you're young, I'm sure you will find something to do in your future." Shirohebi straightened herself. "Now, if you'll excuse me, guests are going to arrive soon…"

The group bowed while one of the handmaiden gently led them outside. The miko lamia came back to see the white snake passably sullen.

"Lady Shirohebi? Are you alright?"

"I'm going to miss that heat in winter…"

* * *

While Mini initially came out depressed from her exchange with the white lamia, she was back again to her perky attitude before the group even stepped away from the terrace of the building.

"Let's continue! I want to see the whole world until I find myself a job!"

"Uga! Where do you want to go next?"

"I have no idea!"

The group awkwardly fell silent while looking at each other.

Teeny shrugged. "Well, there's always the obvious place for people who want to be popular but don't know what to do…"

"Grandeur?"

"Grandeur."


	53. Story 53: Touch fluffy feather

The Four Bandits and the small phoenix girl were now in the city of Grandeur. As usual, the small bird monster was still amazed by everything that happened to be in her way, whether it was by the large market, the theater, the dancers, or even more mundane things like the exotic trees. She only stopped her spree of fascination in front of the men guarding the manor of the Don of the mafia. They were standing there, looking menacingly in front of them, neither sparing a glance to the phoenix girl nor at the four bandits accompanying her.

"They remind me of Don Dahlia…" The small phoenix girl slowly moved away, slightly afraid.

"Don't mind them, let's go to the theater…"

They made their way to the inside of the large building which was currently mostly empty. The current show had a few dancers moving in a relative synch on a slow, melancholic melody. It wasn't surprising, as the more popular shows were kept for the evening, when people got out before eating.

The small team directly went to the manager who was as at his usual post, namely drowning his sorrow at the bar. The man was reportedly leaving his post only for his most basic needs. Teeny cleared her throat to attract his attention. He stumbled a bit as he turned around to look at the bandits.

"Oh hey, it's you kids… How are you doing?"

"Oh, we're doing fine, thank you." Teeny gestured toward Mini. "Our friend here considered performing, and we wanted to know what we could do about it."

"I see… The man stared at the phoenix girl for an awkward amount of time before the latter decided to hide from his gaze by hiding behind Vanilla's cape. "No, that won't do, sorry…" He took a large gulp from his drink. "You're too shy to expose yourself in public like that. That's too bad, 'cause an actual phoenix would have brought a lot of traffic, but if you want to perform, you'll first have to learn to bear the public's gaze, and from what I can see, you have some work to do in that domain."

Mini looked down. "This is going to be too hard for me…"

The man laughed good-heartedly and nearly collapsed. "Being a star performer requires an impressive amount of sweat and luck. Saki was a one in a million case." He wallowed on the bar and started whining. "One in a million… And now everybody wants nothing but her… And now I have to both please the public and get sure the performers are still happy… What can I do? WHAT CAN I DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?!"

The small party slowly backed away from the man who was now wailing as loudly as his lungs allowed him to. Curiously, the remainder of the theater ignored him, as if it was just a background noise amongst others. Once outside, the Four Bandits and Mini found themselves a small corner away from all this agitation to start discussing the future of their partner. They didn't spare a second glance at the thugs at the entrance of the street.

"That man was scary!" Mini wasn't exactly happy with the interview, and gladly voiced her concern.

"Unfortunately… He's right. As soon as you notice people are looking at you, you tend to back down and make yourself as small as possible as if you wanted to disappear."

"Muuuuh…" Mini emitted a low whine.

"It's just a question of being confident. I wonder who we could ask advices from to…" No member of the group noticed the thugs approaching with knives as Teeny pondered that question. "The don of the mafia?"

The thugs froze. In the meantime, Gob grabbed a random small stone from the ground in her hand. "Mmmh, maybe. I mean, I remember him telling me that you have to be really confident when you get interrogated by the government's men to not let slip anything." She crushed the small stone she had grabbed. "He called it shoot spa… chutzpah I think?"

"Oh, that reminds me, I'll have to see with him to renew the liquor license agreement for the vampire pub. Those things are only available for a limited period apparently."

Several of the thugs wet themselves in fear. One of them even fainted.

"Yeah, before you ask, I'll help you for the next delivery."

"Thank you!"

Teeny sighed. "We're getting sidetracked here… Besides, the obvious decision would be to ask Saki herself."

"Saki! Kirasu!"

Papi reflexively placed her hands in front of her mouth as if she just had said a bad word, and could feel everyone's judgmental gaze.

"Sorry… that took me like a hiccup."

"Well, I know Saki's back at the Pocket Castle, so why don't we go meet her specifically?"

The small team agreed, and left the dark corner they were in. Teeny's nose scrunched up in disgust as they passed by the thugs who were all unconscious from terror.

"Did someone have a little problem?"

Vanilla reflexively raised her hands. "Not me this time!"

* * *

"Foooorcibly steaaal your heaaaart!"

The bar was filled to the brim as Alma Elma was singing in front of everyone. The succubus queen had taken a liking to this art form after the Purple Sabbath show: it was an art as good as any to express herself, and, just like any other she worked in, she excelled in it. Her melodious voice was filling the room and entrancing everyone present. When the Four Bandits and Mini entered, the performance was ending and everyone present clapped loudly.

"Ten minutes break! Our next performer will come soon! Please stay tuned!"

Everybody started chatting while the small group made their way to a place near the stage, where they could see Saki patiently standing with her microphone.

"Hey there, what can Saki do for you?"

"We want the secret behind being a superstar!" Mini exclaimed herself proudly.

Saki chuckled gently until she realized the small phoenix was serious. "Well, it is a lot of work you see. You have to practice a lot your manners on the scenes, your voice and your body. This is what helps you distinguish yourself from all the others."

Mini looked down once more. "It's so much effort."

"Awwww… Don't be like that, it reminds me of Eva! Besides, hard work is part of what makes one great, but so is natural talent and knowing the right people! You two can confirm!"

Both Papi and Vanilla nodded, slightly ashamed: Papi was one of the most skilled blacksmith that existed on this world thanks to unexplained innate talents, and Vanilla could easily make herself a place in the cutthroat world of trading thanks to the hero's network. Mini, however, looked even more depressed.

"I'll never manage to do all that…"

"Certainly not with that attitude. It just looks like you're missing some confidence. You should work on that first!"

"Oh, you mean confidence like miss succubitch there!"

Mini pointed at Morrigan, the youngest of the Lilith Sisters, who was near the scene and in a discussion with Alma

"No, it's a bad example. And where did you learn this word?"

The small phoenix proudly exclaimed her answer. "From Amira!" Fortunately, it only brought a few frowns from the closest tables.

The next second, Morrigan inhaled and started singing as a music started playing.

"Sometiiiiimes, I feel I've got to-"

While the blue haired succubus voice sounded less melodious than Alma Elma's, it still had a certain charm to it. Besides, the rhythm of the music supporting her was a bit faster, done with strange makinas. The result was surprisingly catchy, and most people tapped their feet or shook their head back and forth on said rhythm.

However, after a minute, it looked like the succubus was getting carried away and was more screaming than singing, to the trouble of everyone's hearing.

"I GIVE YOU ALL A GIRL COULD GIVE YOUUUUU!"

The shrill voice was only amplified by the micro that was saturating and now giving a powerful feedback. Thankfully, it ended barely a few seconds later. Clapping was almost as loud as for Alma Elma, but it was too fast and rigid, as if people were more afraid than appreciative.

Saki turned back toward the small group at the end of the performance.

"Sooo, no, being confident like her is not something you want to be. What you want is to be able to be proud of your skills."

"But I don't have any skills to be proud of…"

"See? This is what I'm talking about. You know, Saki also had difficulties when she started. She was a succubus, but she wasn't as sexy as many of them, she had no skills in magic, and she certainly couldn't do martial arts. But I trained my voice and I became confident enough to reach the largest stage. What I did was simple. I never gave it any thought before trying! If I failed, I could try again later somewhere else." She took a pose. "So once you think you're ready, just step in and forget everything!"

"Yeah!" Mini was carried by the succubus' words and flew away at high speed while gracefully dodging anyone in her way. She got out of the castle in one smooth motion.

"Sooo… Do you need anything else from Saki?"

"No, thank you for taking your time to help us." Teeny respectfully bowed. "We will take our leave."

"…Saki will take her leave too." The succubus was staring at the scene with a look of pure horror in the eyes. The small monsters turned to see Eden getting on stage. Only a few persons were still present, mostly monsters that were too drunk to pass out or hadn't suffered the bad luck to assist to one of the seraph's representation.

"LIIIIIIIGHT OOOOOOOOOF LIIIIIIIIIIIGHTSSSSSS!"

Luckily, the Four Bandits had managed to escape the Pocket Castle before the ear-shattering shockwave reached them.

* * *

The group of young monsters was now standing near Grangold. Once again, Mini was enthusiastically flapping her wings around…

…For a whole five minutes before she realized that she was in the same situation she was at the beginning. Namely, she still had no idea how she could help the community by doing anything else than using her feathers to revive people. And in record time, she was back to sulking again.

Her four companions were also starting to despair. They were willing to support their friend to face a challenge they never really had to deal with themselves, but were running out of ideas on how they could do it.

They decided to travel to Gold Port, however, they had ran out of harpy feathers. They shrugged it off, and decided they could as well travel on foot for once rather than just get in the city to buy one.

After calling back Gob who had run several hundred of meters ahead in that short time span, the group started travelling at a strolling pace. Their travel was uneventful, as the occasional monster appearing from behind a rock to mug them was dispatched in a lightning strike.

However, signs of troubles started appearing when they arrived in sight of the coastal town: The city was emitting more smoke than the chimneys of a settlement like that should. The monsters came to the obvious conclusion: for a reason, the town was on fire.

As they rushed toward it, the source of the fire became obvious: A band of marauding monsters had come from the sea to attack the town. The first one that stepped toward the party was an elder scylla holding a cutlass in each hands, laughing maniacally. She stopped for a second as she saw the small party.

"Ooooh oh oh! New toys for that evening! The captain will be happy!" She raised her swords and got instantly reduced to a quivering mess by a salvo of lightning bolts, courtesy of Vanilla. The four bandits and the phoenix girl rushed in the city and noticed an alarming amount of wounded people, humans and monsters alike.

Teeny and Mini tended to everyone they encountered, Teeny using her items available and her knowledge of service to restore people, and Mini giving a few of her own feathers for the more critical cases. The phoenix girl looked worried each time she gave one, afraid it wouldn't work, and was overjoyed each time the victim rose back.

In the meantime, Vanilla, Papi and Gob were pushing back the sea monsters that were attacking the civilians. Gob knocked back another scylla that was charging them with so much strength that the monster's unconscious body ended up falling into the ocean. Papi lunged at a mermaid with her claws and slashed her opponent stomach until the poor monster fled in a panic. Vanilla zapped several other sea monsters at once with her lightning.

Their arrival didn't go unnoticed, and soon, the plundering monsters regrouped and started organizing themselves against the interlopers. The three monsters couldn't see the captain, but they could hear her from behind the monster's line.

"They dare stand in front of us! Muhahahah! Annihilate them!"

With a war cry of their own, the pirates rushed at the party. Gob and Papi steadied themselves in front of Vanilla, ready to protect her. As the pirates charged, the small vampire casted another salvo of lightning bolt, shocking a few of them, while the dragon breathed out a powerful stream of fire and incapacitated a few of them while slowing down others.

The pirates weren't without their own tools however, and soon, cannonballs and water spells started flying in the party's direction.

Papi and Gob stood fast, and pushed back the first monsters that stepped in, but their opponents were too numerous, and soon, they found themselves surrounded. Vanilla tried to keep monsters away by casting spells after spells, but even as she knocked down several targets, the Four Bandits were just getting overwhelmed. Gob didn't manage to dodge an attack that came from behind, and while it wasn't enough to stun her, her movements became slow and dazed. A few more attacks from the numerous monsters knocked her down. Papi soon followed suit after taking a cannonball head on. And when Vanilla transformed into a small swarm of bats to fly away, she found herself pinned down by a net.

As the pirates surrounded their victims, a behemoth manta girl with a large pirate hat hovered forward.

"Muhahaha! More slaves for us! Take them aboard!"

"Noooooo!"

"What?!" The captain turned back to see Mini and Teeny arrive. The Phoenix girl charged forward like a burning spear and rammed straight into her, knocking her back several yards. Most monsters were pushed back by the heat and moved away. When they took a look, they could see the three monsters they had beaten get up thanks to feathers the phoenix girl had left on her trajectory, then their slithery friend offer them refreshing herbs.

Just as the pirates recovered from the phoenix's assault, the four bandits jumped back into the fray with their own war cry. The behemoth girl ground her teeth from frustration.

"Damn it! Not again! HUAAAAAH! HOT! HOT!"

She was so engrossed she didn't notice Mini breathing another stream of fire at her until the first flames reached her. She flew back over the sea and shouted for everyone to retreat.

"Mark my words! This isn't over yet!"

The pirates left to everyone's relief, but most of the town was still heavily burning. Mini rose up and started glowing stronger and soon, the fires from the buildings spiraled towards her to get absorbed. When it was over, she got back into the town and was greeted by her exhausted friends, as well as the grateful claims of the population.

"Thanks, Mini, you've been a lifesaver."

The small phoenix girl's eyes started sparkling. She then started happily jumping around left and right like a hyper excited child.

"I finally found my call! I will travel the world and help people! I will save everyone around the world!"

"Wait…"

It was too late. The small phoenix had already flown away and was disappearing near the horizon as she apparently started chasing the settling sun, leaving a much confused party behind.

"Do you think we should do something about it?"

Teeny swallowed loudly. "…Just warn Mephisto. She always knows what to do."


	54. Story 54: Sucking succubi

Mephisto was massaging her face and sighing heavily. For her, it was one of those days that plagued her existence since she started teaching younglings about the magical arts. It was a job she enjoyed, but it had its downsides, as that job was filled with the risks inherent to training young ones into using lethal skills correctly. But all too often, her day started fine until one of her pupil arrived coyly to announce that one of her fellow had been transformed into a frog or a dog following a miscast, or, more often than not, a prank gone wrong. Those situations could easily be resolved with a counter-spell and a good scolding, and, by the next hour, everything was back was if nothing happened.

Of course, she was often magnanimous in those cases for a number of reasons: The devious yoma had a soft spot for her students, and more globally for everyone willing to spend time to learn the magic arts and ready to make the effort to follow here rigorous lessons.

The result was that today, she was, by default, one of the authority figure in the Pocket Castle. Which meant having to deal with situations like the ones she dealt with in the past, but instead of her young, willing students, it was more often than not a supposedly wise monster who got hungry or a succubus who got carried away, and, in both cases, the victim more often than not couldn't complain. Its entourage however.

And today those were Lilith & Lilim… The infamous succubi twins were now present in front of Mephisto. They were putting up a worried facade, but Mephisto could tell that deep down, they didn't care in the slightest.

"Soo, let's get started. You left the castle when you were hungry in the middle of the night. Again."

The twins nodded as Mephisto continued her interrogation. "Rather than go to Succubus Village where everyone is more than willing to give himself to your touch, you decided against reason that San Ilia would be a better feeding ground."

"Everyone in Succubus Village is a pervert! It's now annoying! And besides-"

Mephisto raised a hand to stop the succubi. Instantly, they fell silent, as if their lives were on the line.

"Let me finish first please. Good? Good. So you went to San Ilia in spite of the lingering anti-monster feeling there. And you found yourself a priest. Again. And you ravished him in the middle of the plaza. Again. And you all made so much noise you pretty much awakened the whole town. Again."

Mephisto leaned forward. "The key word here, in case you have difficulty understanding it, is _again_. This is the fourth time this month alone -fifth if you count that incident with the Knight Commander himself, which also happened in public- that, for lack of a better term, your craving for men result in embarrassments for us. And while people at large are extremely tolerating of everyone who's an allied of the hero, there's a certain… irritation growing amongst them, but also amongst some of us as well." She leaned back. "Whether it's from people at large who're tired of seeing monsters getting away with that, from monsters who do their best to help fellows no matter their species only to get rejected because of an incident that happened earlier, or from predators that control themselves and don't understand why some monsters are left to do as they please while they hold back… It looks like I lost you."

She casted a small hex that made both succubi jump before they fell on their bottoms. "I'll get to the heart of the matter: We'll have to punish you both officially to get the message across. And I'll be honest, while most people considered community service, they were also quite receptive to the idea of separating you for a time…"

The twins looked at Mephisto, terror filling their eyes. They then hugged each other, whimpering while muttering negations. It looked like they were actually taking this seriously for once...

"…But I know you, and wouldn't be cruel enough to do this. After all, you only did that because you enjoyed it, this was not actively malicious, was it?"

Both succubi shook their head sheepishly.

"Now, I have quite the job for you. An issue has apparently recently arisen in Lady's Village concerning a monster that ate humans, something that they had stopped doing since the Seventeenth attacked them, and Cassandra and her partners are quite evasive on the matter. Consider it an opportunity to improve the image of succubi at large. Any question? And before you ask, should we get feedback about you playing with the locals while lazying on the the job, it will be ground for the aforementioned punishment. All clear? Gooood. I wish you the best."

The twins left silently, and a minute later, Mephisto followed suit to be greeted by an impressed Salamander.

"Wow, just wow. That was… harsh"

"You know, I'd have thought the Fire Spirit would have at least understood the concept of privacy after her long life."

Salamander crossed her arms under her chest. "I swear everyone could smell the succubi's fear from there. You managed to terrify monsters who willingly served Black Alice in their days! I don't know if I should be impressed, terrified or worried."

Mephisto just shrugged. "I'm just good at finding out which button to push to get what I want from people. Now, did you want to see me for anything in particular?"

Salamander sighed. "The culture shock squad has disappeared."

"Aaaand again. I'll arrive in a minute. Just let me get a drink first."

* * *

"Hurgh, why do we have to go deal with those haughty excuses of monsters when we could indulge ourselves in pleasure?! Why do we even do what she told us to?"

"Because we have to maintain a good reputation for the sake of the hero… And if we don't, we won't be able to access him and they may even throw us out of the castle." Lilith was more jaded than her little sister at the deal.

Lilim went wide-eyed. "Oh, you're right… In that case, let us do our best and deal with it as fast as possible. With a little luck, the hero will be grateful… Fufufu…"

Lilith hugged her sister. "Glad you see it like that… Now, by where shall we start? Maybe one of the men they keep around knows more about it…"

And so the duo surreptitiously hunted for men in the village, taking their time to ask each and every one of their victim the question before rewarding or punishing them appropriately. This barely made any difference for the toyed men who, at the end of their ordeals, were more than willing to move to Succubus Village.

By the end of the day however, their progress was extremely minimal: most of their victims knew as much as them, namely that there was a rumor about one monster in the village eating her partners, but they didn't know anything themselves. And when the succubi were done, they were unable to say their own name anyway.

"Damn, the sun is already setting and we didn't get anywhere… How about we get ourselves the local priest of Ilias for dinner and find ourselves a nice room?"

Lilim nodded. Unfortunately for the duo, they only found the two annoyed monsters that were usually hunting down the man of faith, without their favorite victim to chase around.

"Mmh. Wasn't there a priest of Ilias before there?"

Lilith's remark earned her harsh glares from the two noble looking insect like monsters.

"Huurgh, you filthy imps… Can't you get back to your cruddy dump of a village where you come from? Or do you have to come here after draining all your men?"

Sensing an opportunity, Lilith decided to use a little lie. "A few of them got eaten by a monster that supposedly came from this place. This is only an eye for an eye."

The noble lady scoffed. "You really think we're responsible for that?! That damn Brasta is becoming a nuisance. Where's Lord Cassandra when you need her?"

Lilim took a sensuous tone. "So what if we take care of that little problem in your stead in exchange for a few morsels of choice? We could do finely with a few of your finest men…"

One of the nobles made a dismissive gesture with an umbrella. "If you bring her, we'll see. But I doubt a pair of semen guzzlers will be able to do much to her… She's been last seen near the river's embouchure, alongside the coastline."

"Thank you, we'll deal with it tomorrow."

"You better not decide to stain this great inn's sheets, you dirty wretches."

The twins ignored her rant and made their way to the inn. After checking in and getting their own private room, they took a moment to relax, although that noble's harsh words had passably annoyed them.

"Her behavior was not fitting for a monster. Should we teach her about the sweet pleasures of succubi?"

Lilith made a dismissive gesture. "Let's just find ourselves a nice man for this evening. I noticed the accessory shop had quite a nice delivery boy. Ufufufu…"

The next morning, Lilith & Lilim were flying alongside the Gold coastline, using their supernatural senses to pick up any lifeform. Thanks to their high speed, they already had flown through the area twice in less than an hour when they decided to take a break.

"Damn, we can't find anything! And there's nothing in the region, not even a lost fisherman to spend time in an actually interesting way."

"Do you think they lied to us to hide something?"

"No, we both saw them. They were too genuine in their reaction."

Both succubi took a moment to rest, when a small issue hit Lilim straight on.

"…Do you think we should have asked more information about that Brasta? We don't even know what race she is or how does she look like..."

Lilith silently raged as she realized that they had rushed in head on, and maybe could have even solved that problem already… At least they'd have known if they were supposed to search on the coast, in the forest or amongst the waves.

"Sooooo… What do we do now? We go back home? Sister?"

Lilim turned to see her sister fuming indeed. She affectionately jumped on her, which made her relax.

"Sorry… I almost felt like I was forgetting you for a second." They started hugging.

"It's nothing. Now, about-"

Sensing a sudden change in the wind, the two succubi lifted in the air at an impressive speed. The next second, the spot they were resting on was swallowed by what looked like a giant jaw suddenly appearing from the sand. Something gradually rose up, revealing a large, circular giant crab girl. What they initially thought to be a jaw was instead one of the pincer.

"DAMN IT!" Her voice echoed through the empty beach. "JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I COULD GET SOMETHING UNUSUALLY TASTY! YOU FLYING INSECTS ARE SO ANNOYING! NOW, STOP MOVING SO THAT I CAN EAT YOU!"

The sisters answered her threat with a pair of wind blades aimed at her head, but the giant crab girl managed to raise her pincers to protect her. While the sisters' spell were powerful, it was barely enough to make the monster recoil slightly.

"AHAHAHAH! CAN'T YOU DO ANY BETTER? JUST WAIT UNTIL I CATCH YOU!"

She slammed her claws on the ground and kicked a wall of sand up before charging the small duo. Lilith & Lilim managed to elegantly dodge her before counterattacking with a pleasure spell that ended up being apparently ineffective.

The David versus Goliath fight lasted for several minutes without a clear advantage for anyone. The gigantic monster simply couldn't manage to reach the fast and agile succubi with her slow moves, while the succubi themselves couldn't manage to damage the gigantic monsters with their spells. It looked like insects harassing a tank from afar.

After taking in another attack that barely grazed her, the crab girl groaned in annoyance.

"I'M GETTING TIRED OF YOU! CRAB BEAM!"

The crab girl released a stream of paralyzing energy from her claws which she swung around frenetically. After hunting the small twins that way for a few seconds, she managed to hit them, completely paralyzing them. She was breathing heavily afterwards, enjoying her victory, but also exhausted after casting her energy-consuming attack. She was so focused on the two sisters that she didn't notice the large approaching fireball from far behind her.

"AHAHAH, I WILL TAKE MY TIME PLAYING WITH YOU! HOW ABOUT WE… WHAT AGAIN?!"

She turned around when she noticed the increasing heat, and consequently took the fireball straight in her face. The projectile knocked her back, and she stumbled a bit before collapsing in a mess. The flames surrounding the projectiles disappeared after bouncing before falling close to Lilith & Lilim.

The oldest of the twins turned toward the impact and could see a small, red colored phoenix girl who proceeded to groggily rise.

"Owie… I really should have seen where I was looking." Mini looked around and saw the succubi. She cheerfully exclaimed herself while happily flapping her wings. "Oh, the creepy mage's blanket duo is here, yaaaay!"

Lilith gave out a nervous smile. "Paralyzeeeed… Heeelp."

"Oh! I'll fix that for you!"

The next second, the twins felt their limbs freed from the current that had frozen them and got up, dusting herself from sand.

"Thank you… What are you doing here?"

"…I forgot."

Lilith & Lilim looked dumbfounded at each other, then at the bird brained monster in front of them.

"Well, in that case, can you get some help at the Pocket Castle to carry that monster? We'll reward you appropriately of course."

"Yaaay!"

* * *

After getting help to bring the unconscious body of the monster back to Lady's Village to negotiate a reward, the twins were back in front of Mephisto. The yoma was genuinely smiling when the good news were brought.

"If we disregard the fact that a surprising number of men moved of the place to go to Succubus Village, you did a very great job, so I'll consider that this event unfortunate for the locals is the result of a separate root cause."

"Sooo… We are good?"

"If by _good_ you mean that I will make sure that everybody will disregard the little incidents discussed yesterday, then yes, we are good. If however you mean everybody's fine with you running the same tricks in the next day, then no, we're not."

Both succubi whimpered, which aggravated Mephisto enough to throw her on a rant.

"Come on! I'm not asking for the moon or the return of the Dark Goddess herself! I'm only asking that, for at least a month, I don't get any report or message about people being angry that a bunch of succubi has had their way with their partners, employees or so others!"

The yoma eventually calmed down. "Now, I apologize for that outburst, but please, learn to control yourself. At least, find a way to go one more than one week without ravishing an unwilling passerby. Why don't you try to take a lesson from Alma Elma and focus on another art besides sex? A lot of people has come to appreciate her different artistic work, and it's all the better for everyone involved."

"…We'll see later…" Lilith & Lilim sadly hovered to the exit of Mephisto's small office, and decided to travel to Succubus Village to forget their sorrow by indulging in their favorite pastime.

It was the middle of the night when their discussion with the yoma came back to the mind of the older of the two sisters.

"You know, Lilim…"

"Huuh, whaaat?" Her little sister was groggily answering.

"I wonder if Mephisto isn't right…" she turned around to face her sister. "I mean, don't get me wrong, there's nothing better than turning someone's face to mush, but… The reason most people remember us is because I share my name with a legendary succubus which leads to a lot of mix-up. We didn't do anything to get remembered in history."

She continued, even as her little sister was dozing off. "If anything, the only thing people remember about our era is that our lord and friend Alipheese was a cruel warlord! And this is false! We must change that vision!"

"…How?" Lilim was still half dazed. "…It's not like she's currently doing anything good…"

"I don't know, but she was our lovely old master! It's our duty to get sure her memories are respected! She was better than what people tell of her!"

And so Lillith & Lilim had set up their sight on a new goal.


	55. Story 55: Beelzebubs blues

"Look mommy! That insect monster is covered in boobies!"

"Shhh…" The mother awkwardly silenced her child who was pointing at a trio of monsters sitting besides them. "Sorry, she's a bit indelicate." The monster didn't spare a glance, too busy sulking even as she was vaguely watching what was happening in front of her.

The three infamous beelzebubs were passably depressed even as they were watching the currently ongoing match in the colosseum. When they were freed by the hero against his will a few months ago, they had endured a powerful cultural shock: They expected humans to flee in front of them and to be able to take over the world easily, and instead they were perceived by everyone as just another group of monsters. People had become too familiar with all the ones existing and running around in cities, and their legend had been forgotten.

During an ever so short moment, they had considered attacking citizens to calm their nerves, but the single presence of Yamata No Orochi at that time had been enough to make them reconsider their plan, and the sight of other monsters definitively stopped them. Hearing about the conflicts between different Monsters Lords had only dug a nail deeper into that coffin, and since then, they barely accompanied the hero on his adventures. Not that they were really willing to in the first place.

They were barely watching the fight between the elves and the beasts happening in front of them. The first and second companies of Grand Noah's army were putting a show as intense as usual, but even as the public around them cheered louder and louder, the three monsters didn't react. The show ended with the victory of the first company led by the dullahan on thunderous claps mixed with occasional grumblings from those that had bet on the opposite.

Even as an already decided match between a soldier and a succubus started, the three monsters left, as gloomy looking as ever as they strolled through the relatively active streets of Grand Noah. Striga, the red Beelzebub, was the first to talk.

"Soooo, what now?"

"Let's go to Yamatai… I want to eat dangos." Media pointed in the general eastern direction. The purple Beelzebub was known to always have food on her mind.

Barbarella scoffed. "Be a little more ambitious! Even if this world is broken, we're still the fly queens! People should fear us more!"

"…You were the first one to acknowledge how broken it was, and decided that Selene and Luka had a responsibility toward us. Media's compensating with food while you're hiding behind whatever's convenient."

Barbarella turned toward Striga with a rage-filled frown covering her face. "Like you're any better? You didn't do anything beyond just being here! I at least try to get us to do something, anything to get us our rightful place back into this world!"

"…And yet we're still wandering from place to place, just like that…" Striga showed the people and monsters alike that were walking around them. Most of them ignored the beelzebubs, except for the occasional man who took a minute to enjoy the sight of their numerous breasts before moving on. "People don't really care about us. We might have been terrors during our time, but today, people deal with worse."

Barbarella brought several of her chitinous limbs to her head as she silently acknowledged her fellow's point of view.

"And before considering the idea, no, flooding the world with our children is out of the question! Between one of the Monster Lord and the hero's own forces, we would just end up dead!"

"Then what do you suggest?! Do you have an idea of what we should do then?"

"Me? No. I know someone who does however."

* * *

The beelzebubs found Mephisto sitting at her desk in the Pocket Castle. This time, the yoma was busy planning the resources needed to maintain the chimeras, the zombies and the other mechanical monsters when the three monsters arrived.

"…Seriously. Why do you keep coming to me with your problems? I mean, I already have my own work centered on helping Luka and his crew to manage the castle, I also have children to teach, and I'm still the advisor of Grand Noah… And yet, even as my timetable is filled, people keep looking at me for advices. That would be touching if it wasn't becoming so time-consuming…"

The three insect monsters awkwardly looked at each other, then at Mephisto. "Sooo, can you help us or not?"

"One word: Yes. Two more words: Split up." The yoma took a break from what she was doing to fully focus on the beelzebubs. "You're always together. I have no doubt that you're used to live together, fight together, do… a lot of things together, and while that make you a force to be reckoned with, it didn't help integrating you into this new world in the slightest. Now, I don't have a psychology diploma nor I am a succubus -fortunately-, but it's clear that the only thing that exist for you are the two others."

Upon hearing a snarling noise, Mephisto raised a hand and stood up. "I meant that in a codependant way, I don't mean that you like each other, which is perfectly understandable after so much time. My point is: try meeting other people. There are more than a few hundred monsters, humans and angels in the castle, and while a few of them can be quite asocial, lethal, annoying… Okay, a lot of them don't make for good road companions, there are still tons willing to explore the world and go on adventures to help the orphan and the widow." Mephisto sat back and started writing notes again. "Or you can find a job in society. Your choice."

Barbarella scoffed. "…So you can't really help us can you? You're just telling us to go toward other people… Do you really think they will accept us? Monsters who made the first Monster Lord tremble in fear?"

The yoma shrugged. "Yes."

"…Fine, we're leaving then. Come, you two!"

Barbarella slammed the door on her way out, and Mephisto sighed in relief now that she could finally fully focus back on her work.

On the other side, Barbarella was stomping more than walking forward.

"Who does this woman think she's, for thinking she can tell us what to do?"

"…We came here to ask her for that actually…"

"And it was YOUR idea!" Barbarella aggressively glared at Striga who raised her limbs defensively.

"We didn't know what to do... I thought that was a good idea… And besides, I think she may have a point. I mean, we basically keep bickering like an old married couple."

"Then if you think her idea's so fine, go with it!"

"Ok. I'll go see if someone needs my help for adventures."

Barbarella blinked several times as Striga was striding away while herself and Media were remaining still.

"Wait!"

Striga had already reached the next corned and didn't reappear when the purple Beelzebub called for her. Barbarella groaned, and turned toward her remaining partner.

"And you, I suppose you're still thinking about dangos?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't you leave on a quest to learn how to cook them yourselves?!"

"…Good idea actually."

Media slowly hovered away from her friend, who was still dumbfounded by her tactless reaction. Barbarella wanted to scream her rage to heaven, but felt all her motivation, her anger slip away, and instead started sulking, her steps unconsciously guiding her to the bar.

Drowning her sorrow was still an option after all.

* * *

Striga was checking the bulletin board at the entrance of the castle, looking for anything that could remotely look like a call for adventures. Most of them were requests about needs in food, equipment or necessities which read like a grocery list. It didn't look like there would be anything there… Maybe Mephisto would have some special help?

When she turned away, she nearly got hit by Izuna. The kitsune samurai was walking around with a brisk pace, and briefly excused herself as she walked toward the area where Hild, the mecha girl, was usually hanging. The kitsune briefly muttered something about the missing monster before turning toward Striga.

"You don't seem to be busy… What's your specialty in a fight?"

"Bow and fire… Why?"

"Well that's more than fortunate…"

Striga raised an eyebrow and silently nodded, inviting the kitsune to continue.

"We have to do some cleanup duty for Grand Noah, apparently a few monsters have decided to claim the Minotaur's Maze as their lair. Barbun was supposed to come with us… But apparently, that sheep that makes for her _friend_ has found troubles again and she can't come… Are you interested?"

Striga nodded again, taken aback that not only the kitsune came to her naturally, but asked her to accompany her. It was so convenient...

"Sure, I'll just prepare my equipment and we're good to go."

Less than an hour later, the duo was crossing through the cavern that led to the castle they were aiming for. They were also accompanied by Victoria, the valkyrie, and Cristie, the succubus nun.

The war angel scared the Beelzebub. She kept looking over her shoulder toward her and the succubus, and Striga couldn't tell if it was wariness, contempt or something more sinister present in the valkyrie's gaze. For a moment, she wondered why she even accompanied them as she didn't even know what they were going to face, but Izuna started giving out explanations not before long.

"A large group of sea monsters has been sighted appropriating the castle that belonged to the minotaurs to themselves. Other local monsters tried to get inside, but got pushed back each time by particularly aggressive scyllas."

"Aaaah… All those tentacles… They can be so dangerous…" Christie jiggled around while blushing awkwardly, earning herself a hiss from the valkyrie. Striga's worries about the angel further grew.

"Please, remain focused on the matter at hand. Grand Noah sent both humans and monsters envoys separately, and both got kicked out of the castle. Even Leviathan got turned away. We're not sure what their goal is, and, in any case, the Cow Demon Queen would like her property back."

Victoria frowned. "Monsters who push away men instead of ravishing them? It's indeed strange."

Striga frowned. And here was the stereotype that monsters were nymphomaniacs. At least one thing hadn't change for the last millennia…

…But she recognized that it wasn't entirely wrong either. Still, she felt nervous because of the presence of the angel. Cooperating with them wasn't even considered in their age. And right now, they were siding with one to deal with a passably minor trouble.

"Precisely. Everybody involved want to know if those are just raiders, scared refugees, or the prelude to a greater issue. This is why we've been sent."

"Aaah… we'll send them to Heaven…"

Victoria emitted another disapproving noise before the group spent the next hour in silence. It was the beginning of the afternoon when they finally reached the castle itself, and its doors were locked.

Izuna knocked at the door while the three other party members stood back. There was no answer at first, and Striga took a look around. She noticed some movement on the ramparts, and noticed a scylla wielding a staff and accumulating thunderous energy.

In the blink of an eye, the Beelzebub shot an arrow at the mage's arm, interrupting the latter's spell and making her scream. Her three companions noticed and readied their weapons.

"Good shot."

Was that a compliment from Victoria or an underhanded insult? She couldn't tell and instead decided to focus on the entrance.

"Go away!" An unidentified voice echoed from the other side.

"We only wish to discuss about the cause of your presence inside the Cow Demon Queen's castle."

"We don't have anything to tell you, you traitor!"

Izuna raised an eyebrow and slightly backed away. She looked at Victoria, and the pair of warriors accumulated energy as they prepared their entrance.

"Last chance. We want to come in to discuss."

"Go fuck yourself!"

"Well then…"

The next second, the duo released their attack and the door exploded inward, projecting several sea monsters inside. Striga could see more scyllas, but also a mix of mermaids, starfish girls, and even a narwhal girl.

All of them tried swarming the group before they could even enter the place. The sea monster's numbers played against them as they got into each other's way, and the duo made of Izuna and Victoria could manage to hold them back there thanks to Christie's magical enhancements. In the meantime, Striga shot with a bow or a fire spell every monster that tried to flank the group.

As the party kept fighting, Striga suddenly sensed movement coming from behind them: Apparently, another group of sea monsters had arrived and started attacking her and Christie. Before she could warn her partners, she was engaged in melee by several scyllas that tried to restrain her with their numerous tentacles while choking her. She could feel her vision starting to darken.

The next instant, a blast of light freed her and kicked the scyllas away while hurting her. She turned around to see Christie was down, her face covered with an ecstatic expression, and the valkyrie was helping her get up. Right afterwards, the valkyrie used a healing spell on the insect monster and held out a hand toward the Beelzebub.

"Sorry for that…"

"No, no, you saved me, thank you." Striga was still having difficulties to breath. They turned toward Izuna, who was standing amongst her unconscious assailants, only a few cuts covering her body.

"Twenty-five Northern Sea monsters… Enough to cause a problem for most settlements. Let's check the remainder of the place."

The castle itself was now mostly empty. The party still thoroughly checked every corner to get sure nobody would come from somewhere to ambush them. Eventually, they were in sight of the throne room, which was filled by an angry looking, perpetually frowning young-looking red-ish scylla.

"So here come the hero's lapdogs… A weird group if anything, made of traitors and a piece of crap."

Victoria didn't even react to the insult. The syclla continued her diatribe.

"You don't have anything better to do than to oppress us poor monsters? Like save the world or protect people?" She did air quotations each time with her fingers, and punctuated her sentence by scoffing.

Izuna stepped forward and bowed respectfully. Even knowing the kitsune's nature, Striga was surprised that she still attempted to show some form of etiquette as she conversed with the brat that was on the throne.

"After… Several attempt to communicate with you and the hostile behavior of your servants, we decided to stay until we got a reason to learn why you installed yourself in the current Demon Cow Queen's castle and pushed everyone away."

"It doesn't matter who it belonged to! It's our now! Our! Our! Our!" She punctuated each exclamation by jumping up and down with her arms crossed.

The other party members awkwardly looked at each other. Izuna turned toward Victoria, who instantly nodded as she stepped forward, her sword raised.

"And why wouldn't we remove you forcibly?"

"Because my grandma will kick your ass! She's the strongest monster of the Northern Sea, and is the Temple Guardian, and she will beat you like you're nothing!"

"You're Poseidonness's granddaughter?" Victoria pointed a surprised finger at the scylla.

"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY GRANDMOTHER LIKE SHE'S NOTHING!"

The scylla proceeded to throw herself at an alarming speed at the valkyrie, knocking Izuna away with several of her tentacles and using others to try to choke the angel. The Beelzebub reflexively casted a fireball that singed the valkyrie's wings while kicking her opponent in the wall. The scylla instantly got up and angrily raised her fist. "This isn't over! I'll be back for more!"

As silence fell, Striga apologetically looked at the valkyrie who was getting up.

"Sorry…"

Victoria healed herself. "...Thank you for helping me."

She turned back and started leaving. "I'll have some additional work at Mt St Amos. I'll see you later." The valkyrie disappeared after pulling out a harpy feather.

Striga sighed in relief as she felt the tension disappear. She took a small ribbon that had been dropped by the scylla before the latter left.

"I think she took a liking to you."

The Beelzebub turned toward the fox with a frown. "Not funny."

Izuna shrugged. "I'm serious."

"I felt the hostility from here."

"She's like that with everybody at first… She's kind of a tsundere, and, to be honest, she doesn't like Christie much. Something about the succubus using the faith in Ilias to score some men apparently displeases her a lot."

"Maybe she's better on a good day, but…" Striga shivered. "Her gaze feels like the cold hand of death;"

"As I said, she's naturally like this. It's probably related to her role as an angel of war. It's unfortunate, but you learn to deal with it. Want to grab a drink once back at the castle to change your mind?"

Striga was dumbfounded by the kitsune's offer. She didn't expect someone to invite her like that just after one mission together. In reality, as hindsight started setting in, she realized that she was extremely surprised with how easily she made small talk with the kitsune. Maybe her own reputation as an horrible monster had faded after all.

"I, uh, well, thank you but I wonder how my partners are doing after we kinda fell out, sooo I'll try to see if I can find them."

"A commendable reason. In any case, our job is complete, so let's go back home." Izuna slowly started walking away. "Let's not forget that useless excuse of a succubus nun before going back to the Pocket Castle. Not that I'd feel bad if something happened to her, but I don't to be the one woken up in the middle of the night because she was seen naked with a man on the roof of a cathedral again."

Barely a few minutes later, the team was back at the Pocket Castle. While Izuna was reporting her latest findings to the queen of Grand Noah, Striga slowly made her way to the pub and was greeted by the sight of Barbarella surrounded by empty tanks and bottles. The purple Beelzebub groaned as her partner sat by her. Her speech was quite slurred.

"Sooo, you're already coming back to me after getting kicked out?"

Striga put out the ribbon she plundered on the table.

"Actually, it was quite a nice experience. I helped that war angel and one of the kitsune clean up a mess. The first is in dire need of taking out that stick out, but they were both quite nice and helpful to me none the less."

Barbarella blinked a few times as she swayed in a drunken stupor. "…Really? They didn't run away from you at the first occasion, they didn't try getting rid of you, they accompanied you to the end?"

"That valkyrie even saved me. It's clear by now really everybody forgot our reputation. Or they just don't care."

Barbarella blinked a few more times. "You're kidding me. We're supposed to be the Fly Queens! We're supposed to be feared!"

"I don't really care. That little adventure was fun enough."

Those words knocked the wind out of Barbarella harder than a punch would have. She almost fell out of her chair from her shock as she closed her eyes, and the only thing that kept her awake was the smell of something sugary being brought in. When she opened her eyes again, she could see Media carrying a plate of rice balls covered in honey.

"What's that?"

Media was chewing on one as she answered. "Sweet ama-ama dangos. Lemon and Teeny taught me how to cook them and where I could get the ingredients."

"…You learned to do something as mundane as cooking? Why?"

"Because I wanted to." She offered her plate to her sisters. "Want one?"

Striga instantly answered appropriately, and if her pleased expression was anything to go by, she was extremely pleased by the result.

"That's tasty! Extremely sweet, just as I like!"

"Thanks… Lemon said I poured too much sugar, but I told her you'd prefer it like that. She told me I could be an inn manager if I wanted. Apparently knowing and taking your client's taste into account is just as important as actual home economics skills."

Striga nodded enthusiastically, completely enraptured by the tasty treat.

Barbarella snarled again. "Reduced to one adventurer like so many and a cook… How much have we fallen."

Her red sister answered happily with her mouth still half full, projecting rice grains everywhere. "Come on, don't be a stick in the mud! We can't cover the worlds with our children and nobody cares about our reputation. There are other ways to make this world good for us, we just moved on!"

"…Maybe I should move on too. See you later."

Barbarella got up and wandered away. Striga looked at Media in surprise.

"Did I say something?"

Media just shrugged. "She'll come back later."


	56. Story 56: Diverging opinions on old time

Barbarella was slowly strolling half depressed through the barracks of the Pocket Castle when some agitation attracted her attention. Three monsters were apparently loudly arguing about "the good old times." She could identify Annie, a yoma monk, Elza, a succubus martial artist, and Vivi, a yoma half holy being, half monster. The first two were united against the third one, who was standing haughtily with her arms crossed.

"They're right! Our lord deserves better than that reputation! We know that she was only seeing the good inside people!"

Vivi shook her head negatively. "First, she's our enemy. Second, the more people talk about her, the more they bring about the bad things she did. So if you want people to remember her in a positive light, just wait a little for things to die down first. Third, they'll forget their plan before the end of the day, and fourth, I've got better things to do with Cecile in Grand Noah."

She huffed and turned away. As the strange monster left, Barbarella remembered that all of them came from an era when Black Alice reigned. Was their spat related to that? She was so much lost in thoughts that she didn't notice that both martial artists were looking at her until they called out to her.

"Hey! We're going to give the Eighth Monster Lord the reputation she's owed! Wanna join us?"

Barbarella raised an eyebrow. "Why would I?"

"Weeell, there's not many differences between what happened with you and Black Alice, and if we manage to improve her reputation, we'll manage to improve your as well."

The Beelzebub didn't see how those were connected, but decided to humor them none the less.

"Very well. What do you want me to do?"

"Lilith & Lilim have an idea, they told they'd fill everyone in the council room once we'll have gathered all the support available."

"Good, I'll see you there then."

"Actually…" Elza awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "We're done. We'll accompany you right away."

The duo briskly led the suspicious Barbarella to the room in question. To her complete lack of surprise, they indeed had gathered almost absolutely nobody. The only other monsters present than Lilith & Lilim themselves were Uranus, an angel that looked like a quadruped beast with the torso of a woman, Sylvia, a noble looking insect girl, and a pack of arachnes, a trio of blue and black spider girls that looked like triplets. The group was awkwardly silent since nobody was talking with each other, as if starting to talk would lead to a fight.

The oldest of the twins cleared her throat before addressing the small assembly.

"Greetings, thank you for coming for our project on…" She took a good look at the group and decided to switch her words. "Working to improve the reputation of someone. Now-"

"Wait, this isn't about doing the apology of Black Alice's gluttonous habits to get ours better accepted?"

Lilim's eyes narrowed as she glared at the holy beast. "No. We're here to clear up that there was more to our Monster Lord than just that."

"In that case…" Uranus made her way to the door. "That's monster politics. Sorry but I don't really care…"

Sylvia soon followed suit, not without launching a tirade about how Lilith and Lilim were just crude upstarts who only appreciated their mistress for indulging in their perverted games and mindsets.

Eventually only the twins, the two martial artists, Barbarella and the trio of spiders were remaining in the room.

"We're less numerous than what we hoped for, but it doesn't change anything. There only needs to be the right one present now for our strategy."

"What is it?"

"There's a tournament at the colosseum-"

"Again?"

Lilith glared at the spider monster who had just interrupted her. Before the discussion could degenerate further down, Annie decided to place her foot between both monsters.

"There's almost always a tournament at the colosseum. A minor one every week. The only time there isn't is when there's a bigger one at the corner."

"Thank you for the explanation. Now, as I said before being rudely interrupted, the winner always gets to speak publicly. If it's one of us, she'll just have toooo…"

Lilim finished her older sister's sentence as the latter seems to not have prepared herself to the fact that their allies had different motivation and left her audience hanging. "The winner will make a speech to say that the stereotypes surrounding us are wrong." She looked at the small assembly. "Spiders can be nice monsters, the same for the beelzebubs, there's more to succubi than just sex-"

"Yeah but I don't care!"

"-And Black Alice was a marvelous person in the past. Any question?"

Barbarella raised a chitinous limb to attract attention. "I don't really want to say I'm nice. I don't want to be known as a nice monster."

"Then you'll say what you want!" Lilith mellowed down as she realized her outburst. "Just don't forget about those who helped you and why."

"Okay, I get it, no needs to get violent."

"Good, in that case… What now?"

Annie chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, everything's good and all, but, eeehm, I'm not good at speaking in public."

Lilith sighed. She then produced a paper with something written on it. "Then just read this with as much spirit as when you fight."

"Okay…" She took the sheet and read it. She unconsciously started shaking her head in denial while her expression decomposed. "Are you kidding me…" She proceeded to throw the piece of paper away. "There's no way I'm reading that."

Lilith & Lilim stood in front of the demon while Elza took the sheet and read it, chuckling all the while.

"Don't you want Black Alice's reputation to be better? You have to put your heart into it if you want so!"

"Maybe but what… That… It's pure succubus style! Who write that about a beloved leader?! _We held great tea party together and enjoyed bonding by feasting on humans?_"

"We were closer to her than you could ever dream of being! We understand her heart better than anyone!"

"Yeaaaaah, no, I'm agreeing with Annie, there's no way it passes just fine. I mean people don't like Black Alice, and you're just deciding to give too much information on her."

"Why do we have to talk about Black Alice? Can't we just talk about us?" One of the arachne tilted her head in confusion.

"Because we're the ones who came up with the idea! If you're unhappy with it, leave."

The spider crossed her arms, soon imitated by her sisters. "No, we'll still fight in the arena."

"I'll keep fighting too, there's no way I'm letting two you be public speakers for anything!"

"Like you're one to talk. You just said you suck."

"You know what else suck?" The yoma assumed the posture of a martial artist, one of her leg raised. The tension was rising as an all out battle threatened to erupt.

"Can we at least keep it in the arena?!" It's only when everyone turned toward her that Barbarella realized she was the one who uttered those words, to her own surprise.

"…You're right." Lilith grimly looked around her. "The most skilled of us will be decided there, and will be the one speaking, just as it should be."

* * *

And so the first day of the tournament arrived. She was waiting for her first fight when Barbarella started thinking about the ridiculousness of the situation: She didn't care for Black Alice or even really her image, she just had wanted to search her place in the world without degrading herself like her sisters did. But in the end, maybe both of them had a point. Why was she losing time with all of this?

With her mind on another matter entirely, she still managed to scrape a victory in the first round against a local alraune, and was declared winner by abandon against a human in the second one. However, the third one saw her pitted against Cupi, one of the angel that also lived in the Pocket Castle. The small, annoying pink angel managed to make such a quick work of her that everybody ended silent, shocked and disappointed by the speed of the match. She left the arena altogether wordlessly, refusing to witness what was coming next, and she only got a second-hand report of what had happened afterwards.

In the end, her partners in crimes didn't do much better, and none of them managed to reach her (or their in the case of the damn spiders) goals: Annie and Elza ended up facing each other in a vicious brawl which resulted in a draw that got them both disqualified, the spiders "avenged" her by binding and lewdly incapacitating Cupi in front of everyone before being being themselves disqualified for trying to trap someone in the backstage reportedly to eat him. The following imbroglio nearly ended up involving Mephisto, whose name ended up causing the spiders to relent and leave the area in shame.

Lilith & Lilim themselves ended up being beaten by Minamo in the semifinals, the kitsune kunoichi's skills in sexual arts allowing her to resist the succubi's magic, while her brand of ninjutsu and Taoism allowed her to mislead the twins and exhaust them before knocking them down in an elemental storm. She then proceeded to show off her skills by somehow managing to snatch the victory trophy and disappearing in front of everyone, before awkwardly falling into a hole in the roof of one of the building that made for her escape route. The presence of Nanabi close by was considered purely coincidental, it had reportedly nothing to do with the seven tailed kitsune's desire to humble her junior.

The twins succubi themselves had decided to drown their sorrow in the local pub, and got involved in an _incident_ that lasted for the whole night to the great displeasure of the neighbors. By the time the sun peeked out, they had completely forgotten why they even were in Grand Noah. After all, they were first and foremost demons of lust, through and thorough, and their partners also moved on faster than an eye could blink.

And so died the campaign to bring back Black Alice into everyone's heart. Not with a loud bang, but with a pathetic whimper. Meanwhile Barbarella was back at step one, the only thing accompanying her back being the regret to have wasted a day.

* * *

When she was back at the castle, she wallowed around the entrance for a bit before Striga and Media noticed her.

"Where were you? We've been looking for you since this morning!"

Barbarella sighed pathetically. "Really? I thought you'd have moved on with your lives by now. The Fly Queens' existence as a group is over after all…"

Media tilted her head in confusion, but Striga had understood what her fellow meant. "Come on, Barbarella, I know this is a hard period, but you have to carry through it." Barbarella turned away, trying to ignore her. "And just because we want to do things on our own doesn't mean we stopped caring about you!"

"…Really? Because it looked like you were really enjoying yourself without me..."

Striga shrugged. "Well, it was not that fun, since Mephisto took charge of the file and asked Poseidonness to sort it out with her grandchild and since the latter doesn't seems to be bothered more than that, someone else is going to have to take care of it and that won't be those that accompanied me back then, sooo…"

Barbarella turned toward Media. The latter casted her gaze down. "I tried that inn thing in Iliasburg. I had to leave because people kept trying to grope my abdomen." She showed her breast-covered appendage. "And then some prude woman complained and asked me to cover myself, and in the end it was simpler for me to just leave.

Striga sighed. "Wanna travel to Yamatai together, just like old times?"

"Old times…" Barbarella chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

The purple Beelzebub finally explained them what happened with Lilith & Lilim, and then the disaster that was her participation at the colosseum.

"…Wow, and I thought we had difficulties moving on… Sooo, that's a yes or no?"

"Yes."

* * *

The beelzebubs were now resting in the restaurant near Yamatai, happily munching on dangos, stuffed breads, and other oriental delicacies. For the first time since forever, Barbarella, Striga and Media were legitimately happy together.

"That really hit the spot!" Barbarella stretched her limbs as she leaned back. "When was the last time we did something like that?"

"Less than a few days ago actually." Both people turned toward Striga, apparently surprised. "I mean, when we went to the colosseum, all together?"

"…That was only two days ago? It felt like an eternity… What happened since then?"

"Mmmh… We did separate for a bit and did a few things on our own before coming back together…"

"I kinda wish to forget that happened. If anything, I've never been so glad to be with you."

"Me too, but… It could explain why we're happy to be back together." Barbarella got up and solemnly declared. "If anything, those challenges we faced on our own made us realize the importance of our bond and helped us strengthen it against future odds!"

Her sisters looked at her dumbfounded, then at each other, then back at her. Barbarella's whole body slowly tilted back, only held back by her breast-covered appendage before collapsing on the side and starting to snore.

"Too much sake." Striga shook slightly the empty bottle. "Still, she has a point. We should split up from time to time. That makes those moments where were all together kinda sweeter."

"About sweet things… We got free dangos for dessert. Want one?"

"With pleasure."


	57. Story 57: Two halves' quest for clothes

"Mmmhhh… I can't decide if it's better or worse than the last one…"

Vivi, the strange half-demon half angel vouivre girl, was currently trying outfits in a shop in Sabasa. Leaning back against the wall was Cecile. The scylla maid had decided to accompany her partner by solidarity when the latter wanted to "check fashion five hundred years in the future", and while she at first enjoyed the wondrous sights of the large number of outfits available displayed, she soon came to regret her decision as her partner was basically checking every one of them to find "the one." After all, the yoma had always worn the same rags that were made from a few large band of cloth which color switched between purple and white to cover herself, and wanted an actual outfit for a change.

The task was naturally hard for the yoma who had two different halves: her right one was looking like an angel, with a blue eye and blond hair at the top, and an angel wing on her back, while her left one was purplish and covered in tattoos, had hair a lighter shade of purple, a silver eye and a purple horn. The one confirmation that showed she was slightly more demonic than angelic was her spaded tail adorned with a pink ribbon. The visual dissonance made looking for a fitting outfit difficult, and the shopkeeper was stumped about what she could do for the yoma. She had accepted serving her to the best of her abilities. However, there simply wasn't a single outfit that looked good on the monster. Her current one was made of black thigh-high boots, elbow long gloves, a black skirt that was as short as decency allowed, and a bra with neck straps, and all had silver trims. The tailor remembered that the outfit could go on well with someone who had either skin color, but it wasn't fitting for someone who had both at the same time.

"And besides… I feel like a streetwalker in that outfit. Is it only me?" She turned toward Cecile to get a confirmation. The scylla barely looked before nodding positively.

"It carries a certain message. Whether you want people to come to you for… requests for solace is up to you."

Vivi considered the option for a second, before carefully handling the outfit back to the tailor who was having difficulties keeping her composure near the now naked and fully exposed yoma. The latter was pouting and whimpering in disappointment.

"I can't get a good set of cloth…"

"Maybe travelling around more around will give you ideas?"

Vivi shrugged. "Sure, why not." She then fortunately proceeded to put her wraps back on before someone besides the shopkeeper and the tailor could enjoy the sight. She waved at them as she left and was back in the streets of Sabasa, followed by an unenthusiastic scylla.

The latter had also been looking for a different set of cloth than her classical maid outfit, and had no difficulties finding another cute, classical dress with a top hat that made her look like a noble lady. As getting a good outfit for herself only took her a short time, she started getting aggravated by her partner's inability to decide herself.

"Sooo, do you want to go to Grandeur? Maybe the more exotic outfits from the dancers could give you an actual idea…"

Vivi whimpered again like a spoiled child, starting to actually grate the scylla's nerves.

"Finding a good outfit is so haaaaard…"

"Then why don't you take a break in your quest and indeede go to Grandeur? Spend an evening in the theater with me or someone else, like an interested and vigorous man…"

"You know what? You're right, let's go to Grandeur. Maybe something there will catch my eye…"

* * *

After debating, the duo eventually settled and spent the whole afternoon in the theater to assist to various shows. While Cecile was enjoying the shows as they were, Vivi was analyzing the outfits of the different performers and tried to imagine how they would look on herself. After several hours of entertainment, they left the theater, the scylla being quite happier and the yoma still quite frustrated.

"Still can't find myself a good set of cloth…"

Cecile yawned loudly, feigning fatigue. "Well, in any case, I'll go back to the Pocket Castle. I'm pretty sure Lemon and the others will need me back at the kitchen. Just be careful: I don't think master Luka will be happy if you pull some tricks around.

The scylla used a harpy feather and disappeared. Vivi blew a raspberry in the air, and decided to wander off a little in the desert to see if she could entertain herself or maybe get some other ideas.

Most monsters she saw from afar weren't bothing altogether with clothes. She saw a few cacti girls wearing the most basic frilled shirts as tops, a genie wearing oriental clothes, but otherwise most were strolling around in their birthday suit. They simply didn't care.

As she wandered, she saw a large desert worm girl wander around aimlessly, uncaring for her environment. Vivi took a moment to appreciate the fact that even if she had difficulties filling her wardrobe, she only had the smallest of efforts to do to get her fill of partners. Speaking of which…

The yoma noticed a small pack of scorpion girls on the hunt. She decided to follow them after putting a large hooded coat that hid her demonic half, only revealing her more angelic features. It was time for a good deed…

After a few minutes of shadowing the raiders, she slowed down as they themselves stopped and hid besides the road, waiting for their target: A caravan of supplies that was coming from Sabasa. There were only a few guards to defend a large group of civilians, accompanied by cattle. The scorpion girls positioned themselves to ambush the unwary travellers.

The precise moment they jumped from their spots, the yoma finally acted. She summoned a few arrows of light to get rid of the monsters that were the most threatening to the civilians. The remaining ones turned toward her, surprised, but charged her none the less.

The yoma summoned her sword and parried the first one, using the scorpion's own momentum against her to crash her in the ground to take care of the other ones.

One of them tried to strike her down with her stinger, but she dodged it and cut the appendage apart. The scorpion girl screamed and fled in a panic, leaving a trail of ichor behind her. Only one of the raider hadn't attacked her yet, and joined the other fleeing monster in a hurry. As the dust cleared, she made her way to the grateful guards.

"Thank you! We wouldn't have been able to stand if they surprised us like that in the open!"

Vivi chuckled, carefully only showing her angelic side under her hood. "It's only natural for one of the companion of the hero Luka to help travelers. My name is Vivianne, by the way."

"Well, could we ask you to escort us to Grandeur?"

Vivi took the opportunity to check out the civilians. There was already one merchant looking at her lecherously.

"Sure! I was going there anyway!"

And so she accompanied them to the city of Grandeur, patiently playing a slightly longer game than usual. As they settled in the inn, the merchant she saw earlier decided to made his move and invite her to the theater. He spent the evening trying to get her as drunk as possible in the hope that she would remove her coat, which didn't escape the yoma who managed to keep a clear mind in spite of the impressive amount of alcohol the man coaxed her to incurgitate. If anything, it made her good side feel slightly better about the trick she was pulling on him. In the early hours of the night, he eventually asked her to accompany him to the inn.

The man was as much stumbling as walking forward, which amused her to no end, bringing a big goofy smile on her face. When they arrived in his room, he not so subtly locked it and started grinning.

"You know… I've always wanted to find out more about angels directly… Why don't you remove that huge, uncomfortable coat."

"I'm a bit sensitive to cold, and nights in the desert are chilly." While it wasn't true at all, it looked like the best excuse to bring her plan close to fruition.

"Oh, don't worry, I will warm you up…" The man removed Vivi's hood, and, within a second, turned pale as he realized his partner's nature.

"You're… You're…"

Vivi giggled. "That's right! I'm a yoma! But don't worry, I'll appreciate the warmth, so why don't we get started?"

The man emitted a few more drunken rumblings before passing out on the bed. Vivi poked him a few times, but he showed no signs of waking up. She shrugged it off. It was a shame, but not a big issue. There was more often than not a party at Succubus Village, and she could get her fun there. Maybe she could even get a few ideas for an outfit as well…

* * *

Thanks to harpy feathers, it only took her the blink of an eye to teleport herself to Succubus Village. The night afterward was a blur. She only awakened the next morning satisfied, with a completely exhausted young man by her side. Well, with one of her goal fulfilled, it was time to find if she could get some fashion ideas.

The first thing that greeted her when she was out of her room was the sound of squishing noise and an all too encompassing smell. It was so overpowering that it actually made her actually uncomfortable. Once outside, she took her time to gauge the different outfits worn by succubi, and they all reminded her too much of the last one she tried back in Sabasa. She could get something that would make her desirable, but she also wanted something that would go well with her unusual appearance. She spent the whole morning strolling through the village in hope of getting something for herself. She took a look at the local shop, but, once there, she didn't even bother trying the available outfits, as she knew all too well she would suffer the same issues she always did.

Disappointed, her wandering feet brought her in front of the mayor's house where she started sulking. She didn't turn back when the door opened to let Succubus and Alma Elma come out.

"…So we're not sure what we're going to do ourselves. We thank you for your support and- Bwuh?" Succubus almost tripped on the yoma as she stepped out. "Oh it's you Vivi… Are you alright? You look like you went through hell…"

"Mmh? Oh, I'm just trying to look for an outfit, and…" She showed her body. "That duality makes it more difficult than it needs to be."

"Then why don't you do something more pleasant to change your mind… I mean, clothes are only tools after all…"

Vivi shrugged the words of the succubus queen. "Meh, I'd just wish I have a few spare changes of clothes. If they're sexy, that's just a bonus."

"Oooh, fashion?" Alma Elma shivered, and proceeded to glomp the yoma. "Count me in! I'll help you!"

"Well, I have free time as well, so why don't you come inside so that we can discuss it more properly? Maybe we can even do a small fashion show!"

Vivi was a bit overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the Succubus Queen who was now hugging her. She heard some commotion behind her, and Alma Elma's expression turned into a frown.

"Start without me. I'll join you later."

Succubus grimaced, and invited Vivi inside the house. The mayor had the yoma try a large variety of outfits, from complex dress to something even more basic than the large colored bandage the yoma usually wore while even spending some time trying outfits as revealing as the one Succubus herself was wearing. As she tried outfits, Vivi was periodically surprised by the mess coming from outside. Each time the ground quaked, Succubus looked slightly more jaded and annoyed. Eventually, Vivi gave in to her curiosity.

"What's happening outside? It sounds scary."

Succubus sighed. "Well, a lot of people come here to look for an opportunity to enjoy themselves with the guarantee of not being harmed. I mean, we get our fill, they get pleasure without fear of dying, it's a win-win, but..."

"Oh, the young succubi have a tendency to get a bit carried away?"

Succubus sighed yet again. "Not the young ones…"

As if to punctuate her sentence, several windows were blown inside. Succubus and Vivi checked out, and saw Morrigan being held into a choke hold by Alma Elma while several succubi around were watching.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry… It won't happen again! I won't drain people to death again! Sorry, that was accident!" She was tapping the ground with her hand.

Alma Elma was frowning and was not letting go of the bratty succubus. "We heard that one before… What do you think Luka's reaction going to be?"

"PLEASE! DON'T TELL HIM!" The blue-haired succubus was struggling harder to escape her opponent's grasp as she panicked. "I'LL DO ANYTHING!"

Alma was having difficulties keeping her down. "Then… Don't… Come… Back…" She released her prey as the latter broke free, and catapulted her with a gust of wind supported by the other succubi. "HERE!"

Morrigan tumbled uncontrollably away. After her treatment at the hand of Alma Elma and her partners, the legendary succubus was completely out of energy. The Succubus Queen cleaned her hands and joined back with Succubus and Vivi.

"Soo… Do you want to try my outfit?"

The trio went back inside to continue their fashion show, but Vivi still didn't manage to find an outfit to match her unusual appearance. Frustrated once again, she gave up.

"It's so hard and unfair..."

"Awwww, don't be like that..." Alma Elma smiled devilishly. "Or I'll send you with Morrigan."

Vivi's eyes widened in fear, and she defensively raised her arms. "We're joking of course. Just… Why are you that much obstinate in your quest for a new outfit?"

"Well… I wanted something classier than just that old wrap to cover myself… And something that'd make me feel whole rather than two halves cohabitating."

"And…" Succubus hesitated, not wanting to offend her guest. "Do you think clothes would be enough to change that?"

"I don't know what else I could do." Vivi just shrugged.

"Awww, you know, being one whole with another might just help you…"

"I… already tried that. Thank you." Vivi got up and left in a hurry, surprising her two hosts who awkwardly looked at each other.

"Was it something I said?" Alma Elma sounded surprised, and when Succubus just shrugged as an answer, she decided it was time to party as well.

* * *

Vivi was back at the Pocket Castle, and made her way to her usual spot in the small tea room next the library, as she met again with Cecile. The scylla maid was enjoying a cup of tea when the yoma came back and wallowed face down on the table.

"I take it that your quest for an outfit was unsuccessful?"

Vivi answered with a groan.

"I just want to have a good set of clothes for me… How hard it is?"

Cecile took a sip of her drink. "Well, your appearance does make it hard... But you can think of all the giants, slimes and other monsters that simply cannot wear clothes…"

Vivi groaned harder before answering sarcastically. "Thaaanks, I now just realize how privileged I am!"

"That was rude of me, sorry." Even the other monsters present fell awkwardly silent.

"It's okay, I'm… Kinda tired. It's just… I still feel sort of lost in this new world, and with all the others that want to bring the good old times back, I'm getting worked up a bit more easily than usual.

Cecile frowned. "I know what you mean. I was dumbfounded by their latest antics myself. I've come to appreciate the things brought on this world by time: the sheer number of products available for monsters in all the cities in the world, the development of entertainment, the increase in sanitation work, and so on…"

"On the matter of entertainment… How about we go to Grand Noah to see a few fights?"

"Sure, why not? Just please, forget the clothing question for the moment."

Vivi was all too happy to just be with her friend to contest her demands.


	58. Story 58: One late epidemic special

"I must admit…" Mephisto was browsing through a book she borrowed from San Ilia's library. "It's… Almost impressive. The mermaids left two days ago for a lunar ceremony that will last the whole month. Alrauna and her servants left for an operation to purify the bodies of water through the world less than a week ago -and without a single info as to how to contact them as well, I should add-, the angels are currently on a campaign to reignite the faith in Ilias on her continent, and I'm not even sure they would help us anyway, and our scientific team is currently studying the other side of the Sabasa Tartarus with Luka, so we can't contact them either." She sighed. "What were the odds for an epidemic to start at that exact moment?"

"Incredibly low, as it happens. This resulted in the spreading of rumors that it is an act of sabotage, and soon after we got quite the paranoia spreading amongst us… Almost as fast as that virus, I would say..." The Grand Noah queen was nervously playing with a strand of hair. "There's no doubt that plague got brought by someone, but incidentally, I don't think it was willingly."

"It's not me this time!" Morrigan defensively raised her arms. "I mean, I remember the whole debacle with the bird-fever virus, and so did most people, so…" She ground her teeth. "You can guess who got unjustly accused."

"I wouldn't be so sure about the _unjust _part."

"What was that?" The succubus once again grinned sadistically while shoving her face as close to Mephisto as possible.

"What I'm saying, is that people are prone to refer to their past experience when it comes to this, and this past incident weighted quite a lot against you, creating a justified bias."

Morrigan pondered the yoma's word before nodding. "Huh. True. Can't blame them."

"It certainly doesn't have anything to do with the _accident_ that happened yesterday. I mean, it was impressive to see you fly from Succubus Village to Gold Port without your wings…" Mephisto tried to hide her expression, but utterly failed to hide her amusement.

The succubus chuckled too, which in a way, worried both the Grand Noah Queen and her advisor more than any outburst.

"Anywaaaay, that's one weird plague… What the fuck is even that? It makes people drool like idiots, sweat a lot, and I won't talk about slimy monsters! They spread that stuff everywhere! I think that reminds me of something..."

Mephisto sneered. "I'm looking for info on it, but I can't say it's easy… I'm a teacher! Not a doctor!"

She continued browsing through the book with her frustrating growing by the second, until she finally found something that looked like the object of her search.

"Ah. The Sea Cross Sliming Sickness. Comes from biological incompatibilities between some residents of the deepest part of the Northern and Southern seas. Born from the reaction of a bacteria present in the slime both monsters generate to keep their skin moist when on land. Creates an excessive generation of mucus in the affected. Creates a risk of dehydration. Sporadic outbreak in either sea through history. Can be cured with standard herbs mixed with de-love potions. Only affect mucus-generating monsters."

Mephisto closed the book, satisfied. "We have an anglerfish girl for the southern sea who keep getting lost, and elder scyllas from the northern seas that keep putting their tentacles everywhere, so it would match." She exhaled loudly, relieved. "It was only a matter of time before something like that happened. We're lucky it took so much time and it's only a minor disease."

"Huh. I could've sworn it was the Slimbreaker Plague. People tend to mix both."

Mephisto frowned and opened the book to check. "Good grief, now you tell me you had an idea of what it was since the beginning?"

Morrigan shrugged. "I'm smarter than I looked, and furthermore, I noticed that it also affects the harpies."

"Unfortunately she's right. And several beast type monsters also caught it. We even thought they were the one carrying it at first since they were heaving and drooling more than usual.

Mephisto growled. "Ah, Slimebreaker Plague. Origins still unclear. Most monsters affected suffer from excessive mucus generation, except slime who can suffer from total cellular breakdown?!" The yoma sounded particularly alarmed as she read that sentence, but she continued never the less. "Last outbreak recorded in 1029 on the western coast of Sabasa. Can be cured with snow from Mt Horai mixed with holy herbs from the top of Mt St Amos within a healing seashell found on the Northern Sea Coast. Risk of asymptomatic carriers. Doesn't affect monsters of the succubi and vampires bloodlines."

Mephisto closed the book, slightly shocked by her discovery.

"Well, everything is fine then."

"Seriously?" The Grand Noah Queen looked at Morrigan with an inquisitive eyebrow. Her usually neutral expression had turned into an inquisitive frown.

"What?"

"You're going to let ten of your allies die just like that? Ignore every chance of saving them?"

Morrigan shrugged the remark once again. "It's just a small illness! If they're strong, they don't have anything to fear!"

The Grand Noah queen stumbled back. "We cannot run the risk of losing so many lives just because we remained passive. I am appalled by the consideration you give to your allies…"

"I'm sure Luka will appreciate it appropriately once he learns that the great Morrigan was too lazy to help some of his friends. This couldn't rub off on his perception of her, or on their relationship."

The succubus snarled. "Why don't you go out yourself then? I'm not the only one not affected, am I?"

"Carriers can be asymptomatic, only succubi and vampires are immune, and your fellows are too busy partying…"

Morrigan groaned, and made her way to Mephisto who was holding out the book. "If you're successful…"

"Spare me the usual speech, I'm not a dog wagging her tail for a treat. Make sure my story in Succubus Village gets snuffed, get sure the hero ends wait in my bedchamber when I'm back, and I won't ruin your life afterward." She grabbed the book and stored it with her sword.

"We thank you."

Morrigan growled one more time as she left, slamming the door violently on her way out.

The Grand Noah queen sighed as part of the tension evaporated. "I wonder how Luka can tolerate her, and what kind of upbringing would result in developing that abject mentality…"

"A radically cultural different one, for sure. And you don't want to meet her mother, trust me on that one."

"I already know, we've seen her sisters, after all, and, even worse, we're living with Morrigan herself." The Grand Noah Queen got up. "Let's get sure this infection doesn't spread out of the castle. Have one of the vampires warn everyone abroad."

* * *

"Hello, fellow traveler, have you heard the word of our lord and savior, the Goddess IliAAAASSSS!"

"Be saved from this travesty. Courtesy of a descendant of Minagi, bitch."

Morrigan had arrived to the top of Mt St Amos to find a small congregation of religious monsters praying in front of a statue of the goddess of light in an offering pose. A second later, all of them were incapacitated, writhing in an orgasmic bliss. The succubus looked around for the famed plant, all while cussing at Mephisto for forcing her to do that task.

After checking the mostly desert plateau, she found one that fulfilled the description. She forcefully pulled it from its spot and received an uncomfortable sensation through her hand. She checked it and noticed that the strange herb somehow left a red, itching mark on her hand, likely because of its holy nature. She shook it off with her aura and whistled with displeasure. She put the offending her away with her usual gear, and took one more minute to check the assembly of monsters that ended victim to her bad mood. There were a few succubi amongst them, staining their proud legacy for the sake of a petty pseudo goddess. Morrigan snarled at the statue, and materialized her sword.

"What were those stupid commandments already? Point your sword at the goddess and you shall cry? Whatever…"

She beheaded the statue and positioned the head in one of the hand, carefully stabilizing it. She then accumulated mucus in her tail and sprayed it on the face of the statue, then at crotch level. She then grimaced happily.

"Aaand one statue of the goddess, wet all over and ready to give head."

She somehow heard from afar her sisters calling her out for her immature burst, but that little vandalism relieved her stress quite effectively.

Well, it was that or molesting the unconscious monsters… The thought crossed her mind, but she decided to move on. The faster she was done, the better. The health issue amongst Luka's friends concerned her more than she wanted to admit to herself, and besides, she could use a boost to her reputation…

* * *

The Grand Noah Queen was coordinating the few succubi that had recovered from their evening of debauchery to help their fellow monsters. She wanted to make sure that monsters from the slime species, in particular, were well-cared for.

As she waltzed through the castle, she noticed that most monsters were apathetic. Only the few immune ones were really moving around, helping their fellow to the best of their skills. A few ones versed in white magic made an effort to at least sooth the pain of their companions, but their abilities were insufficient to eradicate the illness.

The queen herself didn't feel any of the symptoms inherent to the illness presented, but she had received enough education on the matter to know that it didn't mean anything. She had already cancelled most of her meetings, and had warned her ministers.

Once she got the confirmation that every monster had what they needed to rest appropriately or to care for their fellows, she regrouped with Mephisto, and saw the yoma nervously biting her thumb.

"Is there any problem?"

"Just an enigma that makes myself question my own judgment. Why do we keep relying on Morrigan, of all people, to help us through? She's a walking disaster area, and I spend most of my time praying the Dark Goddess that she doesn't decide to involve her family…"

"If anything, she's skilled, competent, and actually helpful when focused." The Grand Noah queen twirled a strand of hair with a single finger. "So it's best when we keep her busy… Except she's arrogant, hate authority, lazy, and…" The Grand Noah queen cleared her throat as she realize they were just digging deeper. "Yes, I know what you mean."

The duo descended again to see a succubus nurse clothed in black injecting something into a slime. Even if she had only started working a few hours ago, she was already presenting signs of exhaustion. With most of the more skilled healers away, the succubus was one of, if not the only monster both immune to the virus and with the skills to heal her fellows.

Just as she was done with a slime, another one started trembling as if the poor monster was about to blow up. The nurse injected yet another substance from a syringe, and the slime stabilized for a time. Just afterwards, she continued caring for every other monster around as best as she could, her agile hands dancing around and following an all-too familiar pattern.

Mephisto and the Noah queen looked at the monster. She deserved a proper reward afterward too… Before she could consider anything else, the succubus turned toward her.

"We're going to need more herbs."

The queen and Mephisto decided to act themselves. Just because they were nobles reigning at a high level didn't mean they couldn't pitch in the effort to help their friends, all the more since they couldn't do anything else.

* * *

"Seashell, little seashell , where are you so that I grab you , if I don't find you I'm going to rape you-r family… That sounded better in my mind…"

Morrigan was flying over the coast of the Northern Sea looking for the Healing Shell. She carefully checked every spot, before finally finding the object of her search: The small item was lying on the middle of an isolated stretch of beach, surrounded by a remarkable amount of nothing. There were no rocks, not even pebbles in a radius of several yards around it.

Morrigan sighed. It was so obvious a trap it wasn't funny. She could feel the huge monster patiently waiting underground. It was time to throw her a bone…

The succubus walked in and rapidly grabbed the seashell before flying away, just out of reach of the huge pincer that suddenly lifted itself from the sand. A huge, crab-like monster appeared.

"DAMN IT! I WILL AVENGE MY SISTER FROM YOU FILTHY SUCCUBI!"

Before the crab girl could do anything, the succubus was already at eye level, grinning maniacally. Now it was time to yank that dog's chain…

"Whaaat?" Morrigan tilted her head sarcastically.

"DON'T PLAY DUMB! YOU TOOK MY SISTER AWAY!" She tried to slam the succubus with a claw, but Morrigan nonchalantly sidestepped the assault.

"Pfft… Can't even say I remember." The succubus dodged once again another attack in the blink of an eye. This was all a game for her.

"STOP PLAYING AROUND! I WILL TEACH YOU TO RESPECT ME!"

"Respect you?" Something tilted in Morrigan. When the crab girl attacked again, Morrigan materialized her sword and counterattacked violently, creating a crack in the appendage and making the crab girl shout in a surprised pain.

"THAT'S RIGHT! RESPECT MY POWER! I'M THE DESCENDANT OF ONE THE GREAT CHARYBDA!"

"Mmmhh…" Morrigan snapped her fingers just as she dodged a barrage of pincer strikes. "Oh yeah, I remember her! Pff… She's a weakling."

"HOW DARE Y-" Her sentence was interrupted by a powerful sword strike that knocked her backward. Before she could balance herself, Morrigan struck her again, flipping the monster who had to rely on her human part to position herself back. Before she could move again, Morrigan was standing on her throat, her sword pointed at one of the terrified monster's eyes.

"Ever heard about Minagi?" The monster shook her head negatively. "Then maybe Hiruko?" Once again she got a negative answer. "Oh come on! Give me something to work with! Well, I'm the fucking niece of your great, great ancestor, the one you owe your entire existence to! And in case it's not clear, I could make you beg to be drained until you die!" She stimulated the monster with her aura, making her shiver in pleasure to prove her point. "So how about we make a deal? You disappear, praise the mercy of Morrigan to your friends, or I'll turn you into sashimi! Good? Goooood…"

She let got of the crab girl who disappeared. Now, on to Mt Horai… That was going to be simpler, she just needed to scoop some snow...

And if one of those elves stepped in, well, that was too bad for them.

* * *

Morrigan was already back in the courtyard of the Pocket Castle, slightly disappointed by the lack of elves to play with on her way.

"All right! I'm back with everything! This better be worth it!"

Just after arriving, Morrigan was greeted by Lucia who was walking down from the labs.

"Good, I'll take it, thank you." She grabbed the equipment from the hands of the succubus, the latter being dumbfounded by what was happening. She shook her head and made her way to the royal quarters to see the exhausted Grand Noah queen and Mephisto drinking tea, almost wallowed on their chairs.

"Sooo, the science team is back."

"You noticed…" Mephisto didn't say anything more.

"Sooo, what I did…"

"…We sincerely thank you for that, since they themselves said that no other cure had been studied, and they needed those products both as samples for testing and to cure the victims. Still, it's not over. They said we must find where it comes from and how it reached us, or we'll play fetch with the medication until the end of times. Apparently, there would be a link with people travelling in the desert west of the Gold Region."

"…And I suppose it's up to me once again to check what's going on."

"We'll make sure Luka gets told of the great job you did."

Morrigan snarled and started stepping away, but Mephisto called out to her before she could leave.

"Morrigan?"

"What?" She felt ready to lunge at the yoma who assumed a relaxed posture.

"If you, say, find out that this is indeed an illness that has been introduced maliciously into our ranks… You're free to do as you please with the one responsible."

Morrigan started grinning. "Weeell, you just made my day."


End file.
